Interdental plate

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The interdental plate refers to the bone-filled mesial-distal region between the teeth.^[1] The word "interdental" is a combination of "inter" + "dental" (meaning "between the teeth") which originated in approximately 1870.^[2] In paleobiology, the presence or absence of the interdental plate can determine the place of an animal in the evolutionary scale, and paleontologists use the interdental plate when trying to classify a new specimen. Thecodont reptiles and theropod dinosaur fossils have an interdental plate, whereas acrodont reptiles such as Sphenodontia do not.^[3] Its presence in Archaeopteryx, an extinct avian, resulted in the proposal of the dinosaur-bird connection.

The term can also be used to refer to a manufactured object designed to be placed or worn between the teeth. An example would be a dental prosthetic designed to prevent contact between the teeth while the wearer is sleeping.^[4] US patent 6702765 relates to an apparatus designed to measure the pressure exerted by the tongue as a means of diagnosing ailments related to swallowing.^[5]

[edit] See also

• Interdental consonant
• Interdental lisp
• Interdental woodstick
• Unvoiced interdental fricative
• Voiced interdental fricative
• Voiceless interdental fricative

[edit] References

1. ^ Budney, LISA A. (2006). "TOOTH SOCKET HISTOLOGY IN THE CRETACEOUS SNAKE DINILYSIA, WITH A REVIEW OF AMNIOTE DENTAL ATTACHMENT TISSUES". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 26: 138–145. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. doi:10.1671/0272-4634(2006)26[138:TSHITC]2.0.CO;2. ISSN 0272-4634. 
2. ^ Interdental. Dictionary.com. Retrieved on 2007-03-13.
3. ^ Tooth Implantation. Palaeos.com. Retrieved on 2007-03-13.
4. ^ "Sleep-induced masticatory myoclonus: a rare parasomnia associated with insomnia." . Sleep. 1991 Feb;14(1): 80–2.. 
5. ^ US patent 6702765, "Apparatus for measuring tongue/hard palate contact pressure", granted 2006-03-09