Canine tooth
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Canine tooth | |
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![]() Permanent teeth of right half of lower dental arch, seen from above. | |
Details | |
Identifiers | |
Latin | dentes canini |
MeSH | D003481 |
TA98 | A05.1.03.005 |
TA2 | 907 |
FMA | 55636 |
Anatomical terminology |
In mammalian oral anatomy, the canine teeth, also called cuspids, dogteeth, fangs, or (in the case of those of the upper jaw) eye teeth, are relatively long, pointed teeth, evolved (and used, in most species where they remain prominent) primarily for firmly holding food in order to tear it apart, and occasionally as weapons. They are often the largest teeth in the mammalian mouth. Most species that develop them normally have four per individual, two in the upper jaw and two in the lower, separated within each jaw by its incisors; humans and dogs are examples.
The two canines in humans are the maxillary canine and the mandibular canine.
Details from Gray's anatomy
The Canine Teeth are four in number, two in the upper, and two in the lower arch, one being placed laterally to each lateral incisor. They are larger and stronger than the incisors, and their roots sink deeply into the bones, and cause well-marked prominences upon the surface.
The crown is large and conical, very convex on its labial surface, a little hollowed and uneven on its lingual surface, and tapering to a blunted point or cusp, which projects beyond the level of the other teeth. The root is single, but longer and thicker than that of the incisors, conical in form, compressed laterally, and marked by a slight groove on each side.
The upper canine teeth (popularly called eye teeth) are larger and longer than the lower, and usually present a distinct basal ridge.
The lower canine teeth (popularly called stomach teeth) are placed nearer the middle line than the upper, so that their summits correspond to the intervals between the upper canines and the lateral incisors.
This article incorporates text in the public domain from page 1116 of the 20th edition of Gray's Anatomy (1918)
See also
- Canidae, the family of mammals commonly known as canines.
External links
- Anatomy photo:34:os-0507 at the SUNY Downstate Medical Center