In
mammalian oral anatomy, the
canine teeth, also called
cuspids,
dog teeth,
fangs, or (in the case of those of the upper jaw)
eye teeth, are relatively long, pointed
teeth. However, they can appear more flattened, causing them to resemble
incisors and leading them to be called
incisiform. They developed and are used primarily for firmly holding food in order to tear it apart, and occasionally as weapons. They are often the largest teeth in a mammal's mouth. Most species that develop them normally have four per mammal, two in the upper jaw and two in the lower, separated within each jaw by its
incisors; humans and dogs are examples. In most species, canines are the anterior-most teeth in the
maxillary bone.