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Glite Dictionary
mesiolingual

mesiolingual

9.9
The tooth surface toward the front of the mouth that faces the tongue
  • adjective
  • /ˌmɛziəˈlɪŋɡwəl/
  • Specialized
: mesiolingual
  • The dentist examined the mesiolingual surface of the molar to check for cavities.

Examples

  • Proper cleaning of the mesiolingual surfaces is important for maintaining dental health.

  • Each tooth was assessed at 6 sites (mesiobuccal, midbuccal, distobuccal, distolingual, midlingual, and mesiolingual).

    Academic text (2011)

  • During the orthodontic consultation, the doctor focused on the mesiolingual areas of the teeth.

Surface Forms

mesiolingual positive

Morphology

mesiolingual = mesial + lingual (semi-transparent) = mesio + lingual

The components 'mesial' and 'lingual' are specialized dental terms, so the combination is only partially transparent to non-specialists.

Etymology

The word mesiolingual combines mesio- ('middle' or 'front') and -lingual ('tongue'), so it means the part of a tooth that faces the middle or front and the tongue.