[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 right central incisor

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# Lower right central incisor

The lower right central incisor (tooth 41) is a small flat front tooth beside the midline that cuts food.

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## What it is

A front tooth with a thin, straight cutting edge and one root.

## What it does

Bites into and cuts food; shapes some speech sounds (f, v, th).

## Key points

- Smallest permanent tooth; its root is flattened side to side and often holds 2 canals (labial and lingual), easy to miss on a front-on radiograph
- Tartar (calculus) builds up fastest on its lingual surface, opposite the openings of the submandibular ducts under the [tongue](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/tongue/)

## Key facts

**Joints with**
Alveolar socket of the [mandible](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/mandible/) (gomphosis held by the periodontal ligament); bites against the opposing teeth

**Landmarks**
FDI 41, lower right central incisor: 1 root; chisel-shaped crown for cutting; erupts at about 6–7 years; nerve: [inferior alveolar nerve](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/inferior-alveolar-nerve/) (V3)

## Relations

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

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

**Above**
Meets only the [upper right central incisor](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/upper-right-central-incisor/), which overlaps it in front

**In front**
Lower lip, the [mentalis](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/mentalis-muscle/) and a thin plate of labial bone

## How to find it

First tooth right of the lower midline (the patient's right); it sits behind the upper centrals in a normal bite, so the lower lip must be pulled down to see its face.

## On imaging

Periapical films are the study of choice; a second canal shows only when the beam is angled from the side. Bone loss between the lower incisors is easy to follow on serial periapicals.

## Common problems

- Chipped or broken front teeth after falls or blows.

## Clinical notes

- Incisive branch of the inferior alveolar nerve (V3); nerve fibres from the opposite side cross the midline, and thin labial bone lets infiltration numb it
- Lower incisors commonly crowd during adolescence and adult life, even after orthodontic treatment
- With the first molars, it is a typical site of the molar-incisor pattern of periodontitis seen in young people

## Development

Replaces the primary lower right central incisor (FDI 81); with the first molars, the lower central incisors usually open the mixed dentition.

## Related conditions

- [Periodontitis](https://durgical.com/en/conditions/periodontitis/)

## Test yourself

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

## Where does tartar build up fastest on the lower right central incisor, and why?

On its lingual surface, opposite the openings of the submandibular ducts under the tongue.

## Why can a second canal be missed in the lower right central incisor?

Its root is flattened side to side and often holds 2 canals (labial and lingual), easy to miss on a front-on radiograph.

## Which nerve supplies the lower right central incisor?

The incisive branch of the inferior alveolar nerve (V3), with fibres crossing from the opposite side at the midline.

## Which teeth are involved in the molar-incisor pattern of periodontitis in young people?

The incisors, such as the lower right central incisor, and the first molars.

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