Every tooth has several surfaces, and there are slight differences in their names depending on the location and type of the teeth.

The surface facing the lips and mouth is called the labial surface. The incisors and canines are the only teeth that have it.
The surface that faces the cheeks is the buccal surface. It is present in premolars and molars.

Note: The labial and buccal surfaces together form the facial surface.

The lingual surface is the inner surface of the mandibular teeth, and it faces the tongue.
The maxillary teeth are directed against the palate instead of the tongue, and they have the palatal surface.
The side of a tooth that is closest to the midline of the jaws is known as the mesial surface, while the other side that is farthest from the midline is called the distal surface.
The premolars and molars are the only teeth with occlusal (biting) surfaces. It is the top surface of a tooth that contains several cusps and grooves.
The incisors and canines have the incisal surface, which is the sharp and pointed top part of these teeth.

All surfaces of each tooth are designed according to their function. For example, the canine and incisor teeth are used to cut food. Therefore, they have a single and sharp top surface. In contrast, the premolars and molars help grind and chew the food, so they have larger and flatter top (occlusal) surfaces containing several cusps, grooves, fissures and pits.

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Surfaces of teeth