[Durgical](https://durgical.com/en/) › [DurgiPedia](https://durgical.com/en/durgipedia/) › [Anatomy](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/) › [Head and neck](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/region/head-and-neck/) › Lower left canine

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# Lower left canine

The lower left canine (tooth 33) is the pointed tooth at the corner of the mouth; it grips and tears food.

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## What it is

The corner tooth: one pointed cusp and a long root, a little shorter than the upper canine's.

## What it does

Grips and tears food, and guides the jaw when it slides sideways.

## Key points

- The front tooth most likely to have 2 roots (labial and lingual); otherwise its root is long, though shorter than the upper canine's
- Erupts before the lower premolars, unlike the upper canine, which comes after them, so it is rarely impacted
- Usually erupts at about 9–10 years, earlier than the upper canine

## Key facts

**Joints with**
Alveolar socket of the mandible (gomphosis held by the periodontal ligament); bites against the opposing teeth

**Landmarks**
FDI 33, lower left canine: 1 root; single pointed cusp; root shorter than the upper canine's; erupts at about 9–10 years; nerve: [inferior alveolar nerve](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/inferior-alveolar-nerve/) (V3)

## Relations

**Medial**
The [lower left lateral incisor](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/lower-left-lateral-incisor/)

**Lateral**
The [lower left first premolar](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/lower-left-first-premolar/)

**Above**
The [upper left lateral incisor](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/upper-left-lateral-incisor/) and the [upper left canine](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/upper-left-canine/); in a normal bite its cusp sits just in front of the upper canine

**In front**
Lower lip and the canine eminence of the [mandible](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/mandible/)

## How to find it

Third tooth from the midline on the lower left, a single pointed cusp at the bend of the arch; in a normal bite it sits just in front of the upper canine.

## On imaging

A periapical shows its long root; shifting the beam sideways can reveal a second, lingual root. A panoramic film is used when a lower canine is impacted or has migrated across the midline.

## Clinical notes

- Incisive nerve, from the inferior alveolar nerve (V3); the [mental foramen](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/mental-foramen/) lies behind and below it, usually between or below the premolar roots
- In side-to-side jaw movements the upper canine slides along this tooth (canine guidance) and lifts the back teeth apart
- Its long root resists bone loss, so lower canines are often kept as supports (abutments) for overdentures or partial dentures

## Anatomical variants

- Rarely an impacted lower canine migrates across the midline (transmigration), something described almost only for this tooth

## Development

Replaces the primary lower left canine (FDI 73).

## Test yourself

Think of the answer, then tap the question to see it.

## Which front tooth is most likely to have 2 roots?

The lower canine, such as the lower left canine (labial and lingual roots).

## Why is the lower left canine rarely impacted, unlike the upper canine?

It erupts before the lower premolars, while the upper canine comes after them.

## What is transmigration?

An impacted lower canine migrating across the midline, described almost only for this tooth.

## At what age does the lower left canine usually erupt?

At about 9–10 years, before the lower premolars and earlier than the upper canine.

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Educational information, not medical advice. For any symptom, see a health professional.

## Related

- [Mandible](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/mandible/)

Sources: [Anatomy, Head and Neck, Teeth](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK557543/); [Anatomy, Permanent Dentition](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK570590/); [Anatomy, Head and Neck, Tooth Eruption](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK549878/); [Anatomy, Head and Neck: Alveolar Nerve](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK546712/); [23.3 The Mouth, Pharynx, and Esophagus](https://openstax.org/books/anatomy-and-physiology-2e/pages/23-3-the-mouth-pharynx-and-esophagus) (OpenStax (Rice University), 2022) · adapted, [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

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Representative model, for educational purposes only.

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Source: https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/lower-left-canine/
License: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Cite as: DurgiPedia (durgical.com), https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/lower-left-canine/