Maxillary Canine Anatomy Quiz

Maxillary Canine

• Located at the corner of the mouth

• Longest root in the dental arch

• Importance: Supports facial muscles, maintains jaw stability, and aids in stabilizing other teeth. It's the most prominent tooth

• Erupts between 12-13 years

• Labial Aspect:

  • Crown is narrower mesio-distally than central incisor
  • Cervical line is convex towards the root
  • Contact area is mesially at the junction of the middle and incisal thirds.

• Convex from the mesial and distal sides with slight convexity

• Tip of cusp is aligned with the center of root

• Mesial slope of cusp is shorter than the distal slope; Labial aspect is smooth with depressions mesially and distally, which divide the aspect into three lobes (the middle lobe is more prominent)

• Root is conical, with a blunt apex, and sometimes curved distally or mesially

Lingual Aspect

• Crown and root taper lingually
• Cervical line is more curved than the labial line
• Well-developed cingulum
• A lingual ridge extends down from the cingulum
• Two fossae (mesial and distal) situated between the marginal ridges
• Mesial and distal developmental depressions exist on most of the root length.

Mesial Aspect

• Labial and lingual outlines are more convex within the curvature of the cervical line.
• Slight convexity from the labial aspect to the tip of the cusp at the cervical third.
• Lingual aspect has convexity at the cervical third (cingulum), followed by a small concavity at the middle third, and a straight line to the incisal third.
• Cervical line curves to the cusp
• Root is blunt and conical shaped.
• Convexity present at all points, except for a flat area above the contact point.

Distal Aspect

• Similar to the mesial aspect, but with differences
• Cervical line is less curved
• Distal marginal ridges are more irregular compared to mesial marginal ridges.
• Deeper concavity above the contact point.
• Deeper developmental depression exists on the distal root

Incisal Aspect

• Labio-lingual dimension is greater than mesio-distal dimension
• Tip of the cusp is labial to the center of the crown (labio-lingually) and mesial to the center (mesio-distally).
• The middle lobe ridge is prominent.
• Cingulum is more prominent lingually.

Differences between Maxillary Incisor and Canine

• Canines have a single pointed cusp, while incisors do not.
• Canine's distal cusp slope is longer than its mesial slope.
• Canine possesses convexity on the labial and bulk cingulum at the palatal surface compared to incisors.
• Canines have longer roots with a triangular cross-section
• Canines have well-developed grooves mesially and distally on the root
• Canines have narrower crowns mesio-distally, but wider labio-lingually, than incisors.
• Canines have narrower roots lingually than incisors.