Three-dimensional replicas of pit and fissure morphology in human teeth.

Nuva Seal replicas of pits and fissures from surgically removed unerupted human third molars and premolars, and from erupted premolars extracted for orthodontic reasons, were examined in the scanning electron microscope. The results confirm that the morphology on occlusal surfaces of third molars is extremely variable with numerous pits of considerable length positioned at various angles relative to the fissures. In contrast, the morphology of unerupted and erupted premolars is simpler with fewer and shorter pits positioned perpendicular to the fissure. It is pointed out that fine details of the morphology are lost when reconstructions of the occlusal morphology are made from serial ground sections. However, such reconstructions seem to be less reliable in third molars than in premolars.