Oral Health Link to Whole Body Health: A Blog
The Point of Canines: Is It Normal to Have Sharp Canine Teeth?
Duane Kelly
If you have found that your canine teeth, also known as eye teeth, are unusually sharp and pointed when compared to other people's canines, you might be wondering why that is. First of all, you have nothing to worry about—unless you avoid sunlight, garlic and silver! Sharp or pointed canine teeth are really not as unusual as you might think.
There are a number of reasons why one person's canines might be sharper or more pointed than another's.
Teeth Slide Against Each Other
Although your teeth should generally not touch, even when you are rest, it is inevitable that they will. As you eat, or grit your teeth during exertion for example, your teeth come together. This coming together gradually wears the enamel of teeth down, altering their shape and appearance.
Your eating habits or in fact any other chewing habits, could simply have worn your canines down in such a way as to make them more pointed.
Tooth Shape and Size is Genetic
Pointed teeth are also inherited from parents. Race and sex plays a part too. For example, those of African descent have larger teeth with thicker enamel, and men generally have larger teeth than women. In the distant past, the more pointed canine teeth were, the more attractive the person or animal was to the opposite sex.
Newly Erupted Canines Are More Pointed
The canine teeth of children are naturally more pointed because they have yet to be worn down. It is also plausible for an adult to retain the pointed appearance of their canines if their teeth are in good shape or if the enamel is especially thick. Compared to other adults with normal wear and tear on their teeth, these teeth would appear unusual.
The Opposing Teeth are Missing
When the opposing teeth are missing, the canine teeth will experience less wear and tear and so will naturally be sharper or more pointed. A process called super-eruption may also make a canine tooth look particularly sharp, long or pointed. Super-eruption occurs when the tooth opposite the canine is lost.
When an opposing tooth is lost, a tooth will essentially reach out in search of an opposing surface. This causes the tooth to appear longer.
Teeth Can Be Reshaped
If you are uncomfortable with having pointed canines, your dentist can smoothen the points of your teeth so that they look less like fangs. Composite resin can also be used to reshape teeth though the resin needs to be replaced every few years due to staining and breakage.
Pointed canines are usually no reason to be worried—unless a canine tooth is sharp due to breakage or super-eruption.
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You may have heard that cavities and oral decay are linked to things like heart disease, and, in fact, your oral health affects your entire body. Hi! My name is Brenda, and I like to look at things holistically. Because of that, I created this blog. I plan for its posts to look at the link between dental issues and other health issues. I hope that the people who visit this blog learn a few tips about oral care as well as gaining a deeper understanding of why it's so important. Healthy smiles indicate a healthy body, and I hope this blog helps you achieve both!