Digestive system · Head and neck
Upper right central incisor !
The upper right central incisor (tooth 11) is a flat front tooth beside the midline that cuts food; it is the tooth most often hurt in falls and blows.
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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 facts
- Joints with
- Alveolar socket of the maxilla (gomphosis held by the periodontal ligament); bites against the opposing teeth
- Landmarks
- FDI 11, upper right central incisor: 1 root; chisel-shaped crown for cutting; erupts at about 7–8 years; nerve: anterior superior alveolar nerve (V2)
Relations
- Medial
- The upper left central incisor, across the midline; the incisive papilla of the palate lies just behind the two
- Lateral
- The upper right lateral incisor
- In front
- Upper lip and the orbicularis oris; the upper labial frenum joins the gum between the two central incisors
- Below
- In a normal bite it overlaps, in front, the lower right central incisor and the lower right lateral incisor (overjet and overbite)
- Above
- Root tip below the floor of the nasal cavity
How to find it
Lift the upper lip: it is the broad, flat front tooth just right of the midline (the patient's right), and in many young adults a few millimetres of its edge show below the relaxed lip.
On imaging
A straight-on periapical shows its single canal and apex. After a blow, extra periapicals at different angles (sometimes a small-field CBCT) look for a horizontal root fracture that one view can miss.
Common problems
- Chipped or broken front teeth after falls or blows.
Clinical notes
- Anterior superior alveolar nerve (from the infraorbital nerve, V2): the labial bone of the maxilla is thin, so infiltration near the apex numbs it; the palatal gum is supplied by the nasopalatine nerve
- Crown fractures are graded by depth: enamel only, enamel and dentin, or into the pulp; a blow can also push the tooth into the bone (intrusion) or out of place (luxation)
Anatomical variants
- Shovel-shaped crown, with thick ridges along the palatal margins, common in people of East Asian and Indigenous American ancestry
- A supernumerary tooth in the midline (mesiodens) can hold back its eruption or push it out of line
Development
Replaces the primary upper right central incisor (FDI 51), whose root lies just in front of its germ; a blow to the primary incisor can mark this tooth's enamel.
Memory aid
FDI 11: quadrant 1 (upper right), tooth 1 from the midline; in the US Universal system it is #8.
Related conditions
Test yourself
Think of the answer, then tap the question to see it.
Why is avulsion of the upper right central incisor a dental emergency?
The periodontal ligament cells on the root die quickly once dry.
Which nerve supplies the upper right central incisor?
The anterior superior alveolar nerve, from the infraorbital nerve (V2); thin labial bone lets infiltration near the apex numb it.
What does FDI number 11 mean, and what is the upper right central incisor in the US Universal system?
Quadrant 1 (upper right), tooth 1 from the midline; Universal #8.
Why may several periapical views be taken of the upper right central incisor after a blow?
A horizontal root fracture can be invisible on a single view, so angled films (or a small CBCT) are added.
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.
