Deciduous Maxillary Canine

In the deciduous dental arch deciduous maxillary canine are the third teeth from the midline. The deciduous maxillary and the mandibular canines punch, tear, and apprehend food material.

Development and Eruption

The deciduous maxillary canine emerges into the oral cavity by the age of 19 months. The root of the tooth is completed by the age of 3 years. These teeth are replaced by the permanent maxillary canine by the age of 11 to 12 years.

Labial Aspect

• The cusp tip of the deciduous maxillary canine is sharper than permanent maxillary canine.
• The labial outline of the crown is a diamond shape.
• The mesiodistal dimension of the crown is slightly more as compared to incisocervical length of the crown.
• The mesial cusp slope is larger as compared to the distal cusp slope.  In the permanent maxillary canine, the mesial cusp slope is shorter as compared to the distal cusp slope.
• A labial ridge is present on the crown surface that extends from the cusp tip to the cervical area of the crown.
• A single conical root is present that inclines towards the distal aspect.

Lingual Aspect

• A lingual ridge is present on the crown of the deciduous maxillary canine that divides the lingual fossa into two fossae.
• The fossa that is present near the mesial part is called the mesiopalatal fossa. The fossa that is near the distal part of the crown is the distopalatal fossa.
• The mesial and the distal marginal ridges are not well developed as compared to the marginal ridges of other deciduous maxillary anterior teeth and permanent maxillary canine.
• The root of the crown is longer as compared to the length of the crown.
• The root of the deciduous maxillary canine is long as compared to all deciduous teeth.

Mesial Aspect

• The labiopalatal dimension of the tooth is more as compared to the labiopalatal dimension of the deciduous maxillary central and lateral incisors.
• The labial cervical ridge is prominent.
• The curvature of the cervical line is more and it is towards the crown surface.

Distal Aspect

• The curvature of the cervical line is less on the distal aspect as compared to the mesial aspect.
• The root of the deciduous maxillary canine appears bulky. The greater bulk of the root is in the cervical and middle third of the crown.

Incisal Aspect

• The crown of the deciduous maxillary canine is diamond in shape.
• The cusp tip of this tooth is offset more towards the distal side.
• The cingulum is usually present in the center on the lingual aspect but sometimes slightly offset towards the distal aspect.
• The lingual ridge divides the palatal fossa into mesiopalatal and the distopalatal fossae.

Video Lecture Explaining the Morphology of the Primary Maxillary Canine

Demonstration of the Morphology of the Deciduous Maxillary Canine on Tooth Model