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Glite Dictionary
🦷 Front-cheek root 🦷 Front-cheek side
mesiobuccal

mesiobuccal

9.9
Relating to the front side of a tooth that faces the cheek
  • adjective
  • /ˌmɛziəˈbʌkəl/
  • Specialized
: mesiobucal
  • The dentist carefully examined the mesiobuccal surface of the upper molar for signs of decay.

Examples

  • A filling was placed on the mesiobuccal side of her tooth to repair the cavity.

  • Can you check the mesiobuccal area for cavities?

  • The root canal procedure targeted the mesiobuccal root of the first molar.

  • The mesiobuccal surface of the molar is critical for chewing.

  • The dentist carefully examined the mesiobuccal surface of the upper molar for signs of decay.

  • The mesiobuccal surface of the molar is critical for chewing.

  • A filling was placed on the mesiobuccal side of her tooth to repair the cavity.

Surface Forms

mesiobuccal positive

Morphology

mesiobuccal = buccal (opaque) = mesio + buccal

The combining form 'mesio-' plus 'buccal' follows a regular morphological pattern, but 'mesio-' is specialized dental terminology unfamiliar to general learners.

Etymology

Mesiobuccal joins mesio-, which means 'middle' or 'toward the front of the mouth', and buccal, from Latin bucca, which means 'cheek', so it points to the part of a tooth that sits toward the middle/front and next to the cheek. That's why dentists use mesiobuccal to mean the front-and-cheek side of a molar.