Angle Pearls The Cusp of Carabelli These days, many orthodontists do not place bands. However, for orthognathic patients, surgeons typically want bands on the molars Figure 1. The solution is to make the occlusal circumference larger Figure 2. A blue stone is effective to carve a crescent into the occlusal margin PCSO Bulletin The cusp of Carabelli was named in 1842 by Carabelli György, the court dentist of the Austrian Emperor, Franz. The extra cusp can make fitting a band difficult since it increases the perimeter of the tooth at the occlusal margin, forcing the clinician to use a larger band that consequently does not fit the gingival circumference well (Figure 1). Dr. Gerald Nelson San Francisco, CA Fall 2019 to avoid bonding failures during intermaxillary fixation. This can be dealt with by increasing the occlusal circumference. One carves a crescent-shaped divot in the occlusal margin of the band so the occlusal edge of the band at the Carabelli cusp will be displaced gingivally and make a much better fit to the tooth surface (Figures 2 and 3). Figure 3. It moves the margin to a cleaner part of the crown 55