Espiral AtlasMaxillary canine
dens caninus maxillaris
Study entry
Location
Socket of the alveolar process of the maxilla, at the corner of the mouth, forming the transition between the incisors and the premolars.
Structure
The crown has a single pointed cusp, without an occlusal surface. The root is single, the longest of all the teeth, and raises the canine eminence in the bone, which can be seen and felt under the lip. It is the pillar of the dental arch, important for the bite and for the expression of the face. It erupts at about 10 to 12 years, after the premolars in many people.
Neighborhood
The long root comes near the lateral wall of the piriform aperture and the maxillary sinus; the infra-orbital foramen lies above it.
Blood supply
Anterior superior alveolar artery (branch of the infra-orbital, which comes from the maxillary); the veins accompany the artery.
Innervation
Superior dental plexus, formed by the anterior superior alveolar branch of the infra-orbital nerve (CN V2).
Lymphatics
The lymphatic vessels of the tooth and gum drain mainly into the submandibular lymph nodes.
Clinical
It is the tooth that most often stays retained in the bone after the third molar, often on the palatal side, and may need orthodontic traction. In lateral movements of the mandible, the canine guides the movement and protects the other teeth («canine guidance»).
Source: cap. 8, «Dientes»; tabla 8-13 B (erupción de los dientes permanentes)