Digestive system · Head and neck
Upper right canine !
The upper right canine (tooth 13) is the pointed eye tooth at the corner of the mouth; it has the longest root and grips and tears food.
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What it is
The corner tooth: one pointed cusp and the longest root of all the teeth.
What it does
Grips and tears food, and guides the jaw when it slides sideways.
Key facts
- Joints with
- Alveolar socket of the maxilla (gomphosis held by the periodontal ligament); bites against the opposing teeth
- Landmarks
- FDI 13, upper right canine: 1 root, the longest of all teeth; single pointed cusp; the 'eye tooth', often impacted in the palate; erupts at about 11–12 years; nerve: anterior superior alveolar nerve (V2)
Relations
- Medial
- The upper right lateral incisor
- Lateral
- The upper right first premolar
- Below
- Its cusp tip fits between the lower right canine and the lower right first premolar in a normal bite
- Above
- The long root reaches up beside the nasal opening, toward the lateral wall of the nasal cavity
How to find it
Third tooth from the midline on the upper right, with one pointed cusp at the corner of the arch; under the lip, the ridge of its long root can be traced up toward the side of the nose.
On imaging
From about 9–10 years a panoramic film screens for a displaced canine. Palatal or buccal position is found by parallax (two films with the tube shifted) or by CBCT, which also shows resorption of the incisor roots.
Clinical notes
- Anterior superior alveolar nerve (V2); infiltration in the vestibule over its long root numbs it
- Infection at its apex can spread into the canine space and swell the cheek beside the nose; venous links through the facial vein to the cavernous sinus make infections in this area serious
- If the bulge of the descending canine cannot be felt in the vestibule above the primary canine by about 10–11 years, displacement is suspected and imaged
Development
Replaces the primary upper right canine (FDI 53). The primary canine normally loosens as the permanent crown comes down; if it is still firm in a teenager, an impacted permanent canine is suspected.
Memory aid
SLOB: Same Lingual, Opposite Buccal. On two films with the tube moved, a canine that moves with the tube is palatal; one that moves the other way is buccal.
Test yourself
Think of the answer, then tap the question to see it.
Which tooth is most often impacted after the third molars, and on which side?
The upper canine, such as the upper right canine, usually on the palatal side: it erupts after the premolars and has the longest path to travel.
What is the canine eminence?
A ridge on the front of the maxilla raised by the long root of the upper right canine; it supports the corner of the lip.
Why is infection from the upper right canine spreading to the canine space taken seriously?
Venous links through the facial vein to the cavernous sinus make infections in this area dangerous.
What does the SLOB rule show for an impacted upper right canine?
On two films with the tube moved, a canine moving the same way is palatal (lingual); moving the opposite way, buccal.
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.
