Difference between the terms axial and lingual/facial?

[teethlovin]

hello fellow dental students! As a dental newbie, I am having trouble understanding what exactly the difference between axial vs. lingual or facial is. I thought Axial wall could be used to describe either lingual or facial, but it means the same thing? Or is it only called axial when you get closer to the pulp? Any help would be appreciated!

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[flurocore]

Axial can be used to describe the vertical walls of the tooth. Ex. axial pulpal wall.

 

[jinhomc]

I think the term axial is usually used to describe a surface on a prep when you name the vertical wall closer to the pulp, eg. axio-pulpal line angle (the angle formed by the horizontal pulpal floor and the vertical axial wall of a MO preparation)

and of course, you can always use the term axial to describe anything along the long axis of the tooth. One can also say facial and lingual surfaces are the axial surface of the tooth facing the cheek and the tongue respectively. Just bare in mind that "axial" has its specific usage in the above mentioned case.

Hope it helps.

 

[bsp1013]

"Along the long axis of the tooth"