tandområde

Tandområde is a term used in Danish and Norwegian to describe the part of the mouth that contains the teeth. In English, the closest equivalents are dental arches or the dentition region. The term covers the upper and lower jaw areas that host the teeth and their surrounding supporting structures.

Anatomically, tandområde includes the maxilla (upper jaw) and the mandible (lower jaw), each with an alveolar process and gingival tissue. It contains deciduous teeth in children and permanent teeth in adults. Teeth are arranged in four quadrants—upper right, upper left, lower left, and lower right—and are supported by the alveolar bone, periodontal ligament, and gingiva. The arrangement and occlusion influence chewing, speech, and aesthetics.

Clinical relevance: the tandområdet is the focus of dentistry and related maxillofacial disciplines. Pathologies affecting it include dental caries, periodontal disease, trauma, and developmental anomalies. Diagnostic workups use charting, periapical radiographs, panoramic radiography, and cone-beam computed tomography to evaluate tooth presence, vitality, bone support, and spacing.

Development and variation: tooth formation begins before birth, with tooth buds developing in the dental lamina and erupting in a characteristic sequence. Variations in eruption timing, spacing, and tooth agenesis can affect the tandområde and may require orthodontic or surgical intervention.

See also: odontogenesis, dentition, dental arch, periodontal complex.