Digestive system · Head and neck
Lower right lateral incisor !
The lower right lateral incisor (tooth 42) is the flat front tooth next to the central incisor; it helps cut food.
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What it is
A front tooth beside the central incisor, a little larger, with a cutting edge and one root.
What it does
Bites into and cuts food.
Key facts
- Joints with
- Alveolar socket of the mandible (gomphosis held by the periodontal ligament); bites against the opposing teeth
- Landmarks
- FDI 42, lower right lateral incisor: 1 root; slightly wider than the lower central incisor; erupts at about 7–8 years; nerve: inferior alveolar nerve (V3)
Relations
- Medial
- The lower right central incisor
- Lateral
- The lower right canine
- Above
- Meets the upper right central incisor and the upper right lateral incisor
- In front
- Lower lip and the mentalis
How to find it
Second from the lower midline on the right; with crowding it is often the tooth that sits rotated or tucked behind its neighbours.
On imaging
Periapicals of the lower incisor area show its narrow root and early bone loss; tartar on the tongue side can also show as a small radiopaque deposit near the neck.
Common problems
- Sometimes small or missing from birth (more often the upper one).
Clinical notes
- Incisive nerve, from the inferior alveolar nerve (V3); a mental (incisive) block at the mental foramen or infiltration numbs it
- Crowding of the lower incisors often shows first as this tooth twisting or slipping out of line
Development
Replaces the primary lower right lateral incisor (FDI 82).
Related conditions
Test yourself
Think of the answer, then tap the question to see it.
Which is larger in the lower arch: the lateral or the central incisor?
The lower lateral incisor, such as the lower right lateral incisor, is slightly larger, the reverse of the upper arch.
How does crowding of the lower incisors often show first?
As the lower right lateral incisor twisting or slipping out of line.
Which nerve supplies the lower right lateral incisor?
The incisive nerve, from the inferior alveolar nerve (V3); a mental (incisive) block or infiltration numbs it.
Why is bone loss seen early around the lower right lateral incisor?
The bone over its narrow roots is thin, and tartar from the nearby duct openings collects on its tongue side.
Educational information, not medical advice. For any symptom, see a health professional.
Related
Sources: Anatomy, Head and Neck, Teeth; Anatomy, Permanent Dentition; Anatomy, Head and Neck, Tooth Eruption; Anatomy, Head and Neck: Alveolar Nerve; 23.3 The Mouth, Pharynx, and Esophagus (OpenStax (Rice University), 2022) · adapted, CC BY 4.0.
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Representative model, for educational purposes only.
