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APPENDIX FOR ROOT GROOVES
(Longitudinal Grooves)

ANTERIOR TEETH
1. Maxillary lateral incisors: May have mesial and/or distal root grooves. Most often on

the distal.
2. Mandibular central incisors: May have root grooves on the mesial and/or distal.
3. Mandibular lateral incisors: May have mesial root groove, but ALWAYS have a distal

root groove.
4. Maxillary central incisors: are LEAST likely of maxillary and mandibular incisors to

have longitudinal root grooves.
5. Maxillary canines: May have mesial and/or distal root grooves. Most often on the

distal.
6. Mandibular canines: Root grooves are generally present on both the mesial and distal

root surfaces.
Of the anterior teeth, mandibular canines are MOST LIKELY to have root grooves and the
maxillary central incisors are LEAST LIKELY to have them.
PREMOLARS (BICUSPIDS)
1. Maxillary 1st premolar: Deep mesial root groove is present from bifurcation up onto

mesial enamel. Distal root groove, if present, is much smaller.
2. Maxillary 2nd premolar: Root grooves are similar to the first premolar except the key is

that the mesial root groove is NOT as highly developed as on the 1st premolar. Can
have BOTH mesial and distal root grooves.
3. Mandibular 1st and 2nd premolars: May have shallow mesial and distal root grooves.
Most frequently found on the mesial.
SUMMARY: Maxillary premolars have more distinct root grooves than mandibular premolars.

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MOLARS
1. Maxillary molars: The lingual root may have a root groove more pronounced at the

cervical than at the apical area.
2. Grooves occur on all molars where bifurcations and trifurcations exist.
3. Mandibular molars: Each of the terminal roots of mandibular molars has root grooves

on the mesial and distal surfaces.
a. MESIAL ROOT GROOVES are more highly developed than on the distal

surfaces. Distal grooves may even be absent.
MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION :
1. From the lingual view – the apex of the lingual root of the first maxillary molar is

centered approximately over the DISTOLINGUAL GROOVE.
2. From the lingual view – the apex of the lingual root of the second maxillary molar is

centered approximately over the DISTOLINGUAL CUSP.
3. The maxillary 2nd molar has more root form deviation than the maxillary 1st molar.

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