surface

(sŭr′făs)

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[Fr. sur, above + Fr. face, face]

1. The exterior boundary of an object.
2. The external or internal exposed portions of a hollow structure, as the outer or inner surfaces of the cranium or stomach.
3. The face or faces of a structure such as a bone.
4. The side of a tooth or the dental arch; usually named for the adjacent tissue or space. The outer or facial surface is called the labial surface of the incisors or canines, and the buccal surface of the premolars and molars. The facial surface may also be called the vestibular surface. The inner surface of each tooth is called the lingual or oral surface. Within the arch, each tooth is said to have a mesial surface, the side toward the midpoint in the front of the dental arch, and a distal surface, the side of the tooth farthest from the midpoint in the front of the dental arch.

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