Catching a stuck tooth 11 early
Dentists feel for the canine's bump above the baby canine during the mixed-teeth years. Warning signs include no bump to feel, canines coming in unevenly on the two sides, and peg-shaped lateral incisors.
Removing the baby canine. When the canine's bump can't be felt and an X-ray shows the canine overlapping the lateral incisor's root, removing the baby canine helped the adult canine come in on its own in 67% to 69% of cases, compared with 39% to 42% without. Even when it is found later, at 11 to 16 years, removing the baby canine lets about 75% come in, as long as the canine isn't lying flat.
If it still doesn't come in. Treatment usually combines minor surgery to uncover the tooth with braces to guide it into place. Years later, the gums around these canines are about as healthy as around canines that came in normally.
The same tooth on the right side, tooth 6, has its own section on how often upper canines get stuck and why it matters.
Where is tooth 11?
Tooth 11 is in your upper jaw on your left side. It is the third tooth from the middle: start at the gap between the two top front teeth and count 3 teeth toward the back on your left side.
In a mirror, tooth 11 shows on the left side of your reflection. Someone looking into your mouth sees it on their right.
In front of it (toward the middle) is tooth 10, the upper left lateral incisor. Behind it is tooth 12, the upper left first premolar.
Its mirror twin on the right side is tooth 6. The tooth in the same spot in the lower jaw is tooth 22, the lower left canine.
Dental charts show the patient's right side on the left, so tooth 11 sits on the right half of the top row. Universal numbers continue across the top: upper left teeth run from 9 (the front tooth) to 16 (the wisdom tooth).
What does the upper canine do?
Canines have a single pointed cusp for tearing food, and they form the corners of the mouth. People often call canines "eye teeth" because of where they sit, directly under the eyes. The upper canine is usually the longest tooth in the mouth, and canines have the longest root of any tooth.
The ADA chart also calls canines "cuspids".
Upper canines are usually among the last front teeth to come in, at about 11–12 years, after the premolars beside them in many children.
Common problems with upper canines
- Cavities and chips. Small cavities are fixed with a filling. If decay or an injury reaches the nerve, root canal treatment can save the tooth, often followed by a crown.
If tooth 11 hurts, feels loose, or the gum around it swells, the Dental Emergency Checker can help you decide how soon to see a dentist. Swelling that spreads to the eye or neck, or makes it hard to breathe or swallow, is an emergency: call 911. These are typical problems for this kind of tooth, not a diagnosis.
When does tooth 11 come in?
Both the ADA and AAPD charts give 11–12 years for the upper canines.
Tooth 11 replaces the upper left baby canine (tooth H), which usually falls out at 10–12 years (ADA).
In the ADA chart, they come in at the same time as the lower second premolars, after the lower first premolars (10–12 years) and before the lower second molars (11–13 years). In the AAPD's 13-step order, from the first molars (step 1) to the wisdom teeth (step 13), they are step 11.
Under the gum, according to the AAPD chart, it has a finished crown by 6–7 years and has a finished root by about 12–15 years, a few years after it comes into the mouth.
How many roots does tooth 11 have?
One very long root, the longest in the mouth.
Tooth 11 in FDI and Palmer notation
| System | Tooth 11 is written | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Universal (ADA, used in the US) | 11 | Adult teeth are numbered 1–32 around the mouth, starting at the upper right wisdom tooth. |
| FDI / ISO 3950 (international) | 23 | First digit 2 = upper left quarter; second digit 3 = third tooth from the middle. Said "two-three". |
| Palmer | └3 (often typed UL3) | The └ bracket marks the upper left quarter; 3 = third tooth from the middle. |
"11" in FDI is a different tooth. Read as an FDI code, 11 means the upper right central incisor (tooth 8 in Universal). Charts and X-ray reports from outside the US often use FDI, so check which system is in use.
On a US chart, "23" is a different tooth. Universal 23 is the lower left lateral incisor (tooth 23), so "tooth 23" only means this tooth when the chart uses FDI.
Palmer needs the bracket. Every quarter of the mouth has a tooth 3 in Palmer notation; only the └ (or the letters UL) makes it this one.
All adult teeth in the upper left quarter
From the front of the mouth to the back:
| Universal | FDI | Palmer | Tooth |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | 21 | └1 (UL1) | Central incisor |
| 10 | 22 | └2 (UL2) | Lateral incisor |
| 11 | 23 | └3 (UL3) | Canine (this tooth) |
| 12 | 24 | └4 (UL4) | First premolar |
| 13 | 25 | └5 (UL5) | Second premolar |
| 14 | 26 | └6 (UL6) | First molar |
| 15 | 27 | └7 (UL7) | Second molar |
| 16 | 28 | └8 (UL8) | Wisdom tooth |
The Tooth Number Chart & Converter converts any tooth between the three systems.
Tools for tooth 11
- Knocked-Out Tooth Rescue: first aid for a knocked-out adult tooth.
- Dental Emergency Checker: how soon to see a dentist if it hurts or breaks.
- Adult Teeth Predictor: likely dates for your child's adult teeth.
- How Long Does Dental Work Last?: how long fillings, crowns, veneers and implants usually last, from long-term studies.
- Dental Treatment Plan Decoder: plain English for treatment-plan shorthand like "#30 MOD comp".
Frequently asked questions
What tooth is number 11?
Is tooth 11 the same as tooth 23?
At what age does tooth 11 come in?
Can a stuck tooth 11 come in on its own?
Sources
- American Dental Association (MouthHealthy). Permanent Tooth Development (eruption chart). 2012. Accessed October 26, 2026.
- American Dental Association (MouthHealthy). Primary Tooth Development (eruption chart). 2012. Accessed October 26, 2026.
- American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. Dental Growth and Development (chronology after Logan & Kronfeld 1933, adapted 2003). Accessed October 26, 2026.
- American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. Management of the Developing Dentition and Occlusion in Pediatric Dentistry (Reference Manual of Pediatric Dentistry). latest revision 2024. Accessed October 26, 2026.
- World Health Organization. Oral health surveys: basic methods, 5th edition (tooth notation after ISO 3950). 2013. Accessed October 26, 2026.
- Nelson SJ. Elsevier. Wheeler's Dental Anatomy, Physiology and Occlusion, 11th edition. 2019.
- American Dental Association. ADA Dental Claim Form (tooth designation systems). Accessed October 26, 2026.
- Dentalcare.com (continuing education course CE500). An Overview of Dental Anatomy: Types of Teeth and their Functions. Accessed October 26, 2026.
- Cleveland Clinic. Teeth: Anatomy, Types, Function & Care. last updated January 26, 2023. Accessed October 26, 2026.
- El H, Stefanovic N, Palomo JM, Palomo L. Turkish Journal of Orthodontics 33(2):123–132. Strategies for Managing the Risk of Mucogingival Changes During Impacted Maxillary Canine Treatment. 2020. Accessed October 26, 2026.
Last reviewed by the Dental Health Time editorial team, against the sources above. How we review.