Proximal contact

Missing proximal contact between the right lateral incisor (tooth 12) and the canine tooth (tooth 13).

The approximal contact ( Latin : approximare - to approach; contingere to touch) describes in dentistry the physiological contact area of ​​two neighboring teeth . In a natural tooth, the approximal contact is usually about one millimeter below the marginal ridge, a small fusion bulge on the mesial or distal edge of the occlusal surface (chewing surface). Immediately after the tooth eruption , the contact area is punctiform ( approximal contact point ). With increasing age, the physiological mobility of the teeth by means of attrition results in an approximal surface that is mesial (front) concave (curved inward) and distal (rear) convex . The point of contact of the two lower, central incisors ( Latin : Incisivi ) is called the incisal point .

location

The space between contact point and gums Rand is as interproximal (also: interdental space , interdental space ), respectively. The adjacent tooth crowns touch at the proximal contact. It is located in the so-called approximal space and can be found on the tooth equator , the largest circumference of a tooth in the area of ​​the tooth crown .

Medical importance

In addition to the tooth holding apparatus , teeth in the dental arch are also stabilized by the proximal contacts. During food intake, the tight proximal contact does not press any food residues from the occlusal into the interdental space. The oral and vestibular gingival papillae are in the protected area of ​​the proximal contact. Plaque retention sites should be avoided. At the same time, however, it can be overcome with the dental floss when used correctly in the context of teeth cleaning . the attrition, which is only slight, is compensated for by a slight physiological mesial movement of the teeth so that the teeth still maintain lateral contact.

Dental reconstructions

Cosmetically disruptive, wide approximal space in the area of ​​the front teeth

In the case of restorations such as fillings , artificial crowns or dentures , the approximal contact must be restored. If there is no proximal contact or if it is too weak, the neighboring teeth can shift and food components or food residues can be pushed into the gums between the teeth, causing permanent damage. Due to the difficult cleaning conditions, the development of approximal caries in the approximal area can otherwise be favored. In the anterior region, black triangles ( black triangle disease ) are cosmetically disruptive in the region of the approximal space, so that in this case the approximal contact is lengthened in the direction of the gum line during reconstructive measures.

Individual evidence

1. ^ Textbook of dental prosthetics . Deutscher Ärzteverlag, 2007, ISBN 978-3-7691-3353-0 , pp. 61-62.
2. ↑ Klaus M. Lehmann, Elmar Hellwig, Hans-Jürgen Wenz: Dental Propaedeutics: Introduction to Dentistry; with 32 tables . Deutscher Ärzteverlag, 2012, ISBN 978-3-7691-3434-6 , pp. 60–61.
3. ↑ VP Singh, AS Uppoor et al. a .: Black triangle dilemma and its management in esthetic dentistry. In: Dental research journal. Volume 10, number 3, May 2013, pp. 296-301, PMID 24019795 , PMC 3760350 (free full text) (review).
4. ↑ Oliver J. Dill, Application of a sectional matrix system , ZMK, 2012. Accessed on February 14, 2017.

This article is about a health issue. It is not used for self-diagnosis and does not replace a diagnosis by a doctor. Please note the information on health issues !