The maxillary central incisor is a human tooth in the front upper jaw, or maxilla, and is usually the most visible of all teeth in the mouth. It is located mesial (closer to the midline of the face) to the maxillary lateral incisor. As with all incisors, their function is for shearing or cutting food during mastication (chewing). There are no cusps on the teeth. Instead, the surface area of the tooth used in eating is called an incisal ridge or incisal edge. Formation of these teeth begin at 14 weeks in utero for the deciduous (baby) set and 3–4 months of age for the permanent set.
There are some minor differences between the deciduous maxillary central incisor and that of the permanent maxillary central incisor. The deciduous tooth appears in the mouth at 3–18 months of age, with 6 months being the average and is replaced by the permanent tooth around 7–8 years of age. The permanent tooth is larger and is longer than it is wide. The maxillary central incisors contact each other at the midline of the face. The mandibular central incisors are the only other type of teeth to do so. The position of these teeth may determine the existence of an open bite or diastema. As with all teeth, variations of size, shape, and color exist among people. Systemic disease, such as syphilis, may affect the appearance of teeth.
Read more about Maxillary Central Incisor: Notation, Development, Deciduous Dentition, Permanent Dentition, Variation
Other articles related to "maxillary central incisor, maxillary central incisors, maxillary, incisor, incisors":
... The maxillary central incisors are usually the most visible teeth, since they are the top center two teeth in the front of a mouth, and they are located mesial to the maxillary lateral incisor.The ... In comparison to the permanent maxillary central incisor, the ratio of the root length to the crown length is greater in the deciduous tooth ... The permanent maxillary central incisor is the widest tooth mesiodistally in comparison to any other anterior tooth ...
... Among its features are shovel-shaped incisors that derive their name from the deeper-than-normal lingual fossa and prominent marginal ridges of the teeth ... The lingual of maxillary incisors and the facial of mandibular incisors are the most common places for attrition to occur ... When space exists between the contacts of the maxillary central incisors, the condition is referred to as a diastema or "gap tooth." One frequent cause of the space is the presence of a large labial frenum ...
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