Anatomy of a Tooth

Study Notes

The mesial outline of the crown is convex from the cervical line to the crest of curvature, located at the junction of the incisal and middle thirds.
The distal outline of the crown is slightly concave from the cervical line to the crest of curvature, located at the center of the middle third.
The tip of the cusp is in line with the center of the root.
The distal slope of the cusp is longer than the mesial slope.
The cervical line is convex toward the root.
The labial surface has a shallow depression mesially and distally, dividing the three lobes, with the middle one being more developed, producing the labial ridge.
The root is long and conical, with the apex curved distally.

The tooth is narrower lingually than labially.
The cingulum in the maxillary canine is larger than that in the maxillary central and lateral incisors.
There is a well-developed lingual ridge confluent with the cusp tip, dividing the lingual fossa into two fossae.
There is a developmental depression mesially and distally extending for most of the root length.

The labial and lingual outlines of the crown are more convex than those in the maxillary central and lateral incisors.
The crest of curvature is located at the cervical thirds.
The curvature of the cervical line is 2.5 mm towards the cusp.
A line bisecting the cusp is labial to a line bisecting the root.
There is a developmental depression extending on part of the root.

The labio-lingual dimension is greater than the mesio-distal dimension.
The ridge of the labial lobe is very noticeable labially, with its greatest convexity at the cervical third.
The cingulum is well developed and makes a small arch when compared with the labial outline, which makes a large arc.

The mandibular canine is narrower mesio-distally and labio-lingually than the maxillary canine.
The lingual surface of the crown of the mandibular canine is shorter than that of the maxillary canine.
The cingulum is less developed and less prominent marginal ridges.
The cusp of the mandibular canine is not as well-developed as that of the maxillary canine.
The tip of the cusp is not in a line with the center of the root.

The mesial slope of the cusp is shorter than the distal slope.
The distal outline of the crown is more rounded than the mesial outline.
The mesial surface of the crown is nearly straight with the mesial surface of the root, with the contact area being near the mesio-incisal angle.
The distal contact area is located more incisally than the maxillary canine.