Permanent Upper Canines

Teeth Description Qs must be answered in this order

1. Functions
2. Chronology
3. Number of lobes
4. Geometric Outline of the crown (what is the overall shape of the crown?)
5. Outlines of the crown (trace the borders of the crown and root and describe each border)
6. Outline of the root (see above)
7. Surface anatomy of the crown and root
8. Pulp cavity
Functions
- Cutting and Tearing
- Aethetics: Well-arranged and properly aligned teeth support facial expressions and give a nice
appearance to the face
- Speaking: Clear pronunciation and sound
- Growth of Jaws
Chronology
Upper Cs
Lower Cs

B.O.C
4-5y
4-5y

Crown Completion
6-7y
6-7y

Eruption
9-10y
11-12y

Root Completion
12-13y
14-16y

Number of Lobes
- 4 lobes 3 Lobes (Labially) + 1 Cingulum (Lingually)
o Cingulum: A rounded elevation on the cervical third of the lingual surface of crowns in
anterior teeth representing the maximum convexity on the lingual side.
o Middle labial lobe over-develops (i.e. develops more than the other 2 labial lobes) to form
the labial ridge and the cusp tip

Labial Aspect
Geometric Outline of the crown
- Trapezoid outline with the shorter side cervically and longer side incisally
*The cusp-tip is not included into the trapezoidal outline
Lobe: A primary centre of calcification and growth
formed during crown development. Each tooth is
formed from the union of 4 lobes or more. Pulp horns
in the pulp chamber correspond to each lobe.

Cervical Line: Junction between

cementum and enamel
Outlines of the crown
Mesial Outline
Upper
Cs

Lower
Cs

Convex till the

contact area
(@ the jxn
between
incisal and
middle 1/3)
Straight

Distal Outline
Concave till the
contact area
(@ middle 1/3)

Concave

Mesial
Cusp Slope
Concave

Distal Cusp
Slope
Convex

Cervical
Outline
Convex Root
Wise

Convex

Straight

Convex Root
Wise

Contact
Areas
More
cervically

More
incisally (so
crown
appears
longer and
thinner
than lower)
*Convex/Concave/More convex = All the curvatures are only SLIGHTLY curved, curvature is not very
pronounced
Cusp Slope: A linear elevation on the
*Upper Cs cusp tip is more pointed than lower Cs cusp tip
occlusal surface of posterior teeth.
Outline of the Root
Mesial and Distal
Outline

Upper Cs
Tapered to a pointed distally curved
apex

Lower Cs
Tapered to a sharply pointed distally
curved apex

Cervical Ridge: linear elevation on the cervical 1/3

Surface Anatomy of the Crown
of facial surfaces of all teeth representing the
- Elevations
maximum convexity of the facial surface
o Crown surface is convex with maximum convexity at the cervical ridge
o Prominent ridge that runs from the cusp tip toward the cervical margin representing the
labial ridge
o Middle lobe is well developed giving the cusp
- Depressions
o Shallow longitudinal depression lie mesial and distal to the labial ridge
Labial Developmental Grooves: A narrow, shallow, sharply defined linear depression
on the labial surface of canines representing the fusion between lobes
Surface Anatomy of the Root
- Root shows smooth convex surface

Labial Ridge: A linear elevation on the labial surface of

canines which represents greater development of the
middle labial lobe.

Pulp Cavity
Pulp Chamber: Present in crown
- Outline of pulp chamber follows outline of crown
- In young teeth, pulp chamber has pulp horns related to the cusps

Root Canal: Present in root

- Outline of root canal follows outline of root
- Number of root canal is only one
o Sometimes lower canine has 2 root canines labially and lingually. Canals open in one apical
foramen or separate foramina.

Lingual Aspect
Can skip Geometric outline of the crown, Outlines of the crown, Outline of the root and write The
lingual surface is the reverse outline of the labial surface with lingual convergence
Geometric Outline of the crown: Same as labial aspect
Outlines of the crown: Same as labial aspect
Outline of the Root: Same as labial aspect

Marginal Ridge: A linear elevation on the mesial and distal

margin of the occlusal surface of posterior teeth.

Surface Anatomy of the Crown

- Elevations
Cusp Slope: A linear elevation on the
o Distal and Mesial marginal ridges:
occlusal surface of posterior teeth.
o Cingulum
o In upper canines, prominent lingual ridge extends from cusp tip to the cingulum whereas in
lower canines, the lingual ridge is restricted to the incisal third
o Distal Cusp Slope (also known as distal incisal ridge) and Mesial Cusp Slope (also known as
mesial incisal ridge)
- Depressions
o In upper canines, lingual ridge divides lingual fossa into a mesial and distal lingual fossae (2
fossae) whereas there is only one fossa in lower canines (due to a less developed lingual
ridge)
*Elevations of lower canine are not as well developed as the upper canine
*Lingual surface is smaller in size than the labial surface due to lingual convergence
Surface Anatomy of the Root
- Root shows smooth convex surface

Cingulum: A rounded elevation on the cervical third of the

lingual surface of crowns in anterior teeth representing the
maximum convexity on the lingual side.

Pulp Cavity: Same as labial aspect

Proximal Aspect

Lingual Ridge: A linear elevation that is found on the lingual

surface of canines. Its more developed in the upper canine
than lower canine

Geometric Outline of the crown

Proximal Aspects: Triangular outline with the apex incisally and base cervically

Cusp tip of upper 3 centralized on the long axis or inclined labially from the long axis and is also
shifted mesially from long axis
- Cusp tip of lower 3 inclined lingually from the long axis and is also shifted mesially from long axis
*Long Axis = Line that runs through the crown and root of the tooth in a way that the substance (crown
and root) around the line is symmetrically distributed
Lingual Fossa: A circumscribed depression found on
the lingual surface of anterior teeth.
Outlines of the crown
Labial Outline
Lingual Outline
Cervical outline
Upper Cs
Convex cervically due to
Convex cervically
Concave root-wise
the cervical ridge and
represented by the
however curvature is less
straight in the middle and
cingulum, straight in the
on the distal than mesial
incisal region (straight
middle due to the lingual
side
being labially inclined)
ridge and convex incisally
due to the incisal ridge
Lower Cs
Convex cervically due to
Convex cervically
Concave root-wise
the cervical ridge and
represented by the
however curvature is less
straight in the middle and
cingulum, concave in the
on the distal than mesial
incisal region (straight
middle due to the lingual
side
being lingually inclined)
fossa and convex incisally
due to the lingual fossa
*For upper Cs, in the middle of the lingual outline, you would expect a depression due to the lingual
fossa, however, its straight due to the lingual ridge but in lower Cs, the middle is concave as the lingual
ridge is not as long/prominent.
Incisal Ridge: A linear elevation on the lingual surface at the incisal third of
anterior teeth. Gets worn down by time. Outlines the incisal border of the
lingual fossa.

Outline of the Root

Upper Canine
Labial and Lingual Tapered from cervical line to a pointed
Outline
blunted apex (gradual tapering starting from
cervical 1/3 of root to the end)

Lower Canine
Nearly straight from the cervical line to the
middle third then tapered to a more pointed
apex (tapering only start at the middleincisal 1/3 jxn)

Surface Anatomy of the Crown

- Crown surface is convex and smooth except...
o Area cervical to the contact area shows flattening in the mesial surface
o Area cervical to the contact area shows a concavity on the distal surface
Surface Anatomy of the Root
- Root surface is broad with longitudinal depression
o Longitudinal depression is shallower mesially than distally of same tooth and is shallower in
upper canine than lower canine
*Longitudinal depression in lower canine may be so deep that it may cause bifurcation in the root
(bifurcation apically or extend up to cervical 1/3)

Pulp Cavity: Same as labial aspect

Incisal Aspect
Geometric Outline of the crown
- Diamond shape (thickness>width)
Outlines of the crown
Incisal Aspect (what the diamond outline consist of): Draw PIC!
- Labial surface appears convex
- Cingulum forms a short arc
Surface Anatomy of the Crown: Same as labial and lingual aspects
Pulp Cavity: Same as labial aspect
Extra Notes
*Redo defintions and pictures
*Possible Contact Areas: Incisal 1/3, Jxn between incisal (or occlusal) and middle 1/3 and center of
middle 1/3
*Anterior Teeth Contact Areas Mesial side always incisal 1/3, Distal side always jxn between incisal
and middle 1/3
*Majority of Posterior Teeth Contact Areas Mesial side usually Jxn between occlusal 1/3 and middle
1/3 and distal side usually center of middle 1/3
*Most common anterior tooth to have 2 roots is the LOWER CANINE
*3 main differences between mesial/distal surfaces of teeth is the level of contact area, curvature of
cervical line and the depth of the developmental grooves