1. Permanent Canines

2. Introduction
“Cornerstones of the mouth” - 3rd from midline (“eye-teeth”)
Situated between incisors and premolars
Form: single cusp (middle labial lobe)
Function:
Occlusion - piercing, tearing, lateral guidance
Esthetics - facial support
Phonetics - speech
Greatest combined crown-root length (in either arch)

3. Permanent Maxillary Canine

4. General Characteristics:
Arch position
3rd from midline
Between anteriors and posteriors
Universal #6 and #11
Single facial cusp
Function: tearing, piercing, esthetics, and occlusion

5. Canine vs Central Crown length almost the same
M-D, canine narrower (by 1 mm)
F-L, canine wider (by 1 mm)

6. Canine vs Central: Root of canine longer
Cingulum of canine more prominent
Middle lobe of canine more developed cusp form
Canine has two lingual fossae (divided by lingual ridge)

7. Development Timeline:
Initial calcification: months
Enamel completed: years
Eruption: years
Root completion: years

8. Labial View Pentagonal (5-sided) (trapezoidal geometric form)
Strong labial ridge with MF and DF developmental depressions
Height of contour (HOC) at cervical third

9. Labial view - mesial outline:
Generally convex from mesial HOC to cervical
Contact area (HOC) at junction of incisal-middle third

10. Labial view - distal outline:
Distal HOC at middle third
Shorter than mesial outline from HOC to cervical
Distal bulge with slight cervical concavity

11. Labial view - incisal outline:
2 cusp ridges
Mesial cusp ridge (shorter)
Distal cusp ridge (longer)
With wear, mesial cusp ridge becomes longer*
Cusp tip in line with midline of root

12. Lingual View M, D, and I outlines similar to labial view
Bulky cingulum (bulkiest of anteriors)
Ridges:
M and D marginal ridges
Lingual ridge
Fossae:
ML and DL fossa

13. Lingual view:
Uncommonly, linguogingival groove and lingual pit present
HOC at cervical third
Cervical line slight distal offset

14. Mesial View Triangular crown
Wider F-L than incisors* (widest F-L of all anteriors)
Cusp tip located just facial to long axis
Labial outline convex, HOC at cervical third

15. Mesial view:
Lingual outline convex at gingival 1/2 and concave at incisal 1/2
Lingual HOC at cervical third
Mesial HOC at junction of incisal-middle thirds

16. Distal View Cervical 1/2 usually concave
CE line curvature less than mesial
HOC at middle third (most cervical of anteriors)

17. Incisal View Asymmetrical diamond shape outline Mesial half bulkier
Distal half appears “drawn” out
Cingulum offset to distal
Four cusp ridges:
Mesial cusp ridge
Distal cusp ridge
Facial cusp ridge
Lingual cusp ridge

18. Root Single, longest of all teeth* Wider F-L than M-D
Cervical cross-section is ovoid
Normally straight, but may deflect distally

19. Permanent Mandibular Canine
Universal #22 and #27
General form and function similar to maxillary canine

20. Comparisons with maxillary canine:
Crown as long or longer (by 1 mm)
M-D and F-L dimensions smaller (by .5 mm)

21. Mandibular vs Maxillary Canine:
Total length about same*
Root length slightly shorter*
Lingual anatomy less developed

22. Development Timeline:
Initial calcification: months
Enamel completed: years
Eruption: years
Root completed: years

23. Labial View Pentagonal: 5-sided Narrower M-D than maxillary canine
Crown is longer I-C (longest I-C of all teeth*)

24. Labial view - mesial outline:
Almost straight line from HOC to cervical and mesial outline of root
HOC at incisal third, near mesioincisal angle (more incisal than max canine)

25. Labial view - distal outline:
More convex than mesial
Rounded distoincisal corner
HOC at junction of incisal-middle thirds

26. Labial view - incisal outline:
D cusp ridge longer than M
With wear, D cusp ridge becomes longer*
Cusp tip in line with root midline

27. Lingual View M, D, I aspects mimic labial view
CE line exhibits distal offset
Anatomy not as pronounced as maxillary

28. Mesial View Labial outline convex, HOC at cervical third
Cusp tip is lingual to root midline
Labial outline “moonshape”

29. Mesial view:
Lingual outline less cingulum curvature, HOC cervical third
Contact area at incisal third

30. Distal View
Similar to mesial
HOC at junction of incisal-middle thirds

31. Incisal View Similar to maxillary canine Bulky mesial half
Distal appears “pulled” or “pinched”
Cingulum offset to distal

32. Root Longest root in mandibular arch*
Single, straight - bifurcation possible
Wider F-L than M-D
Cervical cross-section is “flattened” ovoid

33. How To Tell Maxillary Canine from Mandibular:
M-D dimension of maxillary wider
Mesial outline of mandibular straight
Facial outline of mandibular appears “moonshape” - location of cusp tip

34. Maxillary vs Mandibular:
M and D contact areas are more incisal with mandibular
Lingual anatomy of maxillary more prominent
Location of wear facets

35. How to tell right from left:
Incisal view, distal appears “pinched”
Mesial cusp ridge shorter than distal
CE line curvature more on mesial