Canines (13, 23, 33, 43)
The canines stand at the corners of the arches. They are the longest teeth in the mouth, about 26 mm on average, with roots of about 16 mm that anchor them deeply in the bone.
Why they matter
- They support the lips and facial muscles at the corners of the mouth.
- They pierce, tear and shear food.
- They guide the mandible in side movements and keep the back teeth apart, protecting them from harmful horizontal forces: canine-protected (canine-guided) occlusion.
- Their long, strong roots make them excellent abutments for bridges and removable partial dentures.
Shape
- The edge is split by one cusp into two slopes, so the crown looks like a pentagon from the labial side. The mesial slope is shorter than the distal one: the key right/left mark.
- A vertical labial ridge runs down the middle of the labial surface; canines are the only teeth with one.
- Crown and root are wider labiolingually than mesiodistally, and the crown is wedge-shaped from the side.
- Wear: upper canines wear on the lingual side of the cusp, lower canines on the labial side.