Maxillary lateral incisor

Study entry

Location

Socket of the alveolar process of the maxilla, lateral to the central incisor and medial to the canine.

Structure

It resembles the central incisor, only smaller and narrower; the palatal surface has a deep fossa and, sometimes, a groove that descends to the root. The root is single, thinner and flattened, and the apex usually curves distally. It erupts at about 8 to 9 years.

Neighborhood

It lies between the central incisor and the canine; its root is near the floor of the nasal cavity and the canine fossa.

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 incisor with the most variations in form: it can be conoid («peg-shaped tooth»), absent (agenesis) or have a palatogingival groove, which favors accumulation of plaque and localized periodontal disease. Enamel invagination («dens in dente») appears mainly in it.

Source: cap. 8, «Dientes»; tabla 8-13 B (erupción de los dientes permanentes)

Other structures in this region

• Maxillary central incisor
• Maxillary canine
• Maxillary first premolar
• Maxillary second premolar
• Maxillary first molar
• Maxillary second molar
• Maxillary third molar
• Mandibular central incisor