lingual

What exactly does lingual mean?

Lingual is the inner surface of a tooth, facing the tongue. Strictly speaking the term applies to the lower jaw; in the upper jaw, palatal is the more precise term. Many clinics and textbooks use lingual for both jaws, however. The counterpart is buccal and labial for the front teeth respectively. Those who document precisely write palatal for the upper jaw, lingual for the lower jaw, and when in doubt use the general term oral.

How is lingual used in clinical records?

Combined with the tooth number under the FDI tooth numbering system and the other directional terms, an unambiguous location is obtained. “Lingual calculus at 41 to 43” describes hard deposits on the tongue side of the lower front teeth, a location where tartar forms particularly quickly owing to the salivary glands. Together with mesial, distal, and occlusal every surface can be named. In orthodontics, lingual also refers to a treatment technique in which the brackets are placed on the inner surface of the teeth and remain invisible from the outside. This technique is demanding and is not covered by statutory health insurance.

What students from EU countries should know

In English-medium teaching in Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, or Lithuania the term is “lingual”, pronounced and written almost identically. Transfer errors are more likely with palatal, which some curricula use consistently and others not at all. Those who document in Germany are best advised to follow the conventions of the particular clinic or practice. A second pitfall is abbreviations: “li” stands for lingual in some charts and for left (links) in others.