The canine tooth (dens caninus) is located in front of the premolar teeth and behind the incisors, the name referring to the bend that the dental arch makes at this point.
What are canine teeth?
The canine tooth is also colloquially referred to as the “eye tooth” because of the pressure pain or redness that appears under the eye when it is inflamed. Each person has a total of four canine teeth, which are in the third position. In the anterior region, it is the largest tooth, which can already be found in the milk dentition. The permanent canines then erupt at around 11 years of age, with the lower ones normally appearing before the upper ones.
Anatomy and structure
The canine tooth has a root in which a margin can be found. The root of the tooth is slightly flattened. A distinct root feature is the opital curvature on the upper canines. The roots of the upper canines are also longer than the lower ones. Instead of an occlusal surface, the canine has only one cusp (also called a cusp tip), which has two cutting edges. The vestibular surfaces consist of two parts: a distal (posterior) half and a mesial (anterior) half, respectively. These are separated by a middle degree, which runs vertically. Canines have a spherical shape and are slightly curved from the incisal edge to the neck of the tooth. The canine tip is not exactly in the center, but is slightly displaced mesially. The mesial incisal edge is shorter and steeper compared to the distal edge, and there are also two marginal ridges and a central ridge on the back of the crown that meet in what is called a tubercle (cusp). The upper canines are also larger than the lower teeth. In them, the crown axis is also somewhat “bent”, which is called the “crown curse”.
Function and tasks
The canines form the transition between the anterior and posterior teeth. Their function is to hold or tear food. When biting off, the region of the canine tooth is mostly used instinctively, since the roots of the teeth are particularly strong. In general, the canines are the strongest teeth of the human dentition and act as a kind of “fangs”, since they have an extremely sharp cutting edge. The canines are often referred to as “dog teeth” because they bear some resemblance to the canines of dogs. Similar to the dogs, the teeth are still used colloquially as a “threatening gesture”. From it also most diverse idioms derive like “the teeth show”, “on the tooth feel” or “a tooth to put”. Since due to the use of knives and forks or due to various ways of preparing food, strong tearing is no longer necessary, the canines have receded over time.
Diseases
The following dental diseases may occur in canines:
- Caries
- Pulpitis
- Apical ostitis
Caries is a disease of the two hard tissues of the tooth, dentin and enamel, respectively. In the process, decalcifications form first, which are initially white, but then can turn dark. As long as caries only affects the enamel layer, it can be remineralized. However, if the caries penetrates into the dentin, toothache occurs. Pulpitis is an inflammation of the dental pulp that occurs due to chemical, thermal and mechanical irritation. The affected person suffers from toothache, if the irritation persists, the inflammation can also become chronic. In apical ostitis, the root tip of the tooth becomes inflamed. This is a bacterial inflammation, as bacteria travel through the root canal to the root tip. Acute ostitis can be very painful, but sometimes the inflammation progresses without pain. In addition, canines are often displaced and retained, the reason being a rather late eruption. In many children, the bone is then already solid and the neighboring teeth have also already erupted. If there is a lack of space, these then take the place of the canine tooth. In some cases, the tooth erupts outside the tooth row, very often lying across the upper jaw bone. Sometimes the canine tooth is also located very high up in the jawbone, so that a relatively long distance has to be covered before the tooth breaks through. Non-union of canine teeth, on the other hand, is extremely rare or unknown. It occurs much more frequently with wisdom teeth or incisors.In adults, displaced and impacted canines are very often surgically removed; in adolescents, the crown is often exposed. After the wound has healed, this is then adjusted with the help of a bracket or a so-called orthodontic appliance. In some cases, it is also necessary to stretch the upper jaw to create more space. Malformations also occur in connection with cleft lip and palate. Normally, cleft lips run between the second incisor and the canine in the upper jaw, but in malformations, adhesions, partial fusions, or fusions may occur. If the rows of teeth are closed, then the lower or upper canines touch and during chewing movements a space is created between the lower and upper occlusal surfaces, which is called “canine guidance”. Especially with dentures such as bridges and crowns, it is necessary to restore this canine guidance as well. In complete dentures, however, canine guidance is not created because the denture would otherwise tip.
Typical and common dental diseases
- Tooth loss
- Tartar
- Toothache
- Yellow teeth (tooth discoloration)
