Morphology of maxillary canine for BDS students.

1. -Dr.Smitha Rao

2.  A tooth having a crown of thick conical shape
and a long, slightly flattened conical root

3.  There are two canine teeth in each jaw, one on either side
adjacent to the distal surface of the lateral incisors, in both
the deciduous and the permanent dentition

4.  Human canines are the longest and most
stable of teeth in the dental arch
 Only one tooth of this class is present in each
quadrant
 Called cuspids, dogteeth, fangs, or eye
teeth
 Considered as the cornerstones of the dental
arch
 Only teeth in the dentition with a single cusp

5.  FDI system: 13, 23
 Universal numbering system: 6, 11
 Zsigmondy/ Palmer notation: 3 3

6. Crown Root
Labial Palatal Proximal
Mesial Distal

7.  Labial aspect:
Cervical line
Apex of root
Root
Crown
Cusp tip

8.  Labial aspect:
• MD diameter narrower than Max.
Central incisor
• Made up of 3 lobes
• Middle lobe is prominent → Labial ridge
• Distal incisal margin slopes more &
longer
• Mesio-incisal angle more coronally
situated
• Mesial slope is shorter than distal
slope
labial ridge
M D
MI Angle DI Angle

9.  Palatal aspect:
Cervical line
Apex of root
Root
Crown
Cusp tip

10.  Palatal aspect:
C
MMR
DMR
LR
MLF DLF
• Well developed cingulum
• More curved cervical line
• Lingual ridge: well developed &
extends from cingulum to cusp tip
• Mesial & distal lingual fossae:
concave between lingual ridge
• Mesial & distal marginal ridges:
prominent ridges

11.  Mesial aspect:
• Roughly triangular
• Broad cervically & tapers incisally
•Lingual profile shows pronounced
convexity of cingulum & a shallow
concavity in the middle third,
followed by a convexity incisally
•Contact point in incisal third of
crown

12.  Distal aspect:
• General outline similar to mesial surface
• More convex & shorter than mesial
surface
• Contact point in middle third
• Cervical line exhibits less curvature
• DMR is more irregular

13.  Incisal aspect:
• LL dimension>MD
•Distal cusp ridge is slightly longer
than the mesial cusp ridge
•Cusp is at right angle to the long axis
of the tooth
•The cusp is formed by labial &
lingual ridges & mesial & distal cusp
ridges
C
LR

14.  Root :
• Conical in shape
• Flat MD
• Apical portion inclined distally
• Root depressions on mesial & distal surfaces

15.  FDI system: 33, 43
 Universal numbering system: 22,27
 Zsigmondy/ Palmer notation:
3 3

16. Crown Root
Labial Palatal Proximal
Mesial Distal

17.  Labial aspect:
Cervical line
Apex of root
Root
Crown
Cusp tip

18.  Labial aspect:
• MD diameter narrower than
Max. Canine
• Broader than lower incisors
• Cusp is short & blunt
• MI angle is higher than the DI angle
• Mesial contact area is high just below the
incisal angle
• Distal contact area is lower than mesial
& situated in middle third
MI angle DI angle

19.  Lingual aspect:
• Cingulum- smooth & poorly developed
• Lingual ridge: less raised
• Mesial & distal lingual fossae: shallow
depressions
• Mesial & distal marginal ridges: less
distinct

20.  Mesial aspect:
• Has less curvature labially
• Lingual out line curved , but less in
degree
•Cingulum less prominent
•Cervical line more curved towards
incisal portion

21.  Distal aspect:
• General outline similar to mesial
surface
• Lingual out line curved , but less in
degree
•Cingulum less prominent
•Cervical line more curved towards
incisal portion

22.  Incisal aspect:
• LL dimension>MD
• Out lines of mesial surface are less
curved
• The cusp tip is inclined in a lingual
direction

23.  Root :
• Shorter & more flattened MD than Max canine
• Triangular in cross section
• Labial surface is broader than lingual
• Apical portion inclined slightly mesially

24. Summary:
Feature common to all canines:
• They have a single root, which is longest &
strongest of all teeth
• They have a single conical cusp
• They have a functional lingual surface