Topics

Topic

design image
superior canine tooth

The superior canine, also known as the maxillary canine, is a long, pointed tooth located at the corner of the dental arch between the lateral incisor and first premolar. It has the longest root in the maxilla, making it a key tooth for occlusal guidance, mastication, and facial aesthetics. Its crown is conical and single-cusped, designed for tearing food, while the root is tapered and robust, anchoring the tooth firmly within the maxillary alveolus. The maxillary canine also contributes to arch stability and interdental spacing and serves as a landmark for orthodontic and surgical planning.

Synonyms

  • Maxillary canine

  • Upper canine tooth

  • Cuspid

  • Eyetooth

Function

  • Tearing and grasping food

  • Maintaining occlusal guidance during lateral jaw movements

  • Contributing to dental arch stability and alignment

  • Supporting facial soft tissue and aesthetics

MRI Appearance
T1-weighted images:

  • Tooth enamel appears very low signal (black) due to its dense mineral content

  • Dentin shows slightly higher signal than enamel but remains hypointense

  • Surrounding periodontal ligament space may be seen as a thin hyperintense line

  • Bone marrow in the alveolar process is intermediate signal, providing contrast to the hypointense tooth structures

T2-weighted images:

  • Enamel remains signal void, dentin is slightly hyperintense relative to enamel

  • Pulp chamber appears hyperintense, making the pulp clearly visible

  • Surrounding soft tissue and marrow edema appear bright, helping detect inflammation or pathology

STIR (Short Tau Inversion Recovery):

  • Fat suppression highlights periapical or alveolar inflammation

  • Normal tooth structure is low signal, while periapical abscesses or cystic lesions appear bright hyperintense

CT Appearance

  • Superior canine is easily visualized as a hyperdense structure in the maxillary alveolus

  • Enamel is densely hyperattenuating, dentin is slightly less dense, and the pulp chamber is hypodense

  • Surrounding alveolar bone is intermediate density, and cortical bone is clearly delineated

  • CT is ideal for assessing impacted canines, root morphology, periapical pathology, fractures, or surgical planning

MRI images

superior canine tooth mri axial image -img-00000-00000

MRI images

superior canine tooth mri sag image -img-00000-00000