Intercanine Width
Definition
The distance between the tips of the upper canine teeth in a dental arch. A measurement above approximately 3 cm indicates an adult dentition and is used to distinguish adult bites from child bites on a victim.
- Field
- Bite mark age assessment
- Threshold used
- Above approximately 3 cm indicates adult dentition
- Measured on
- Upper canine tooth tips
- Application
- Distinguishing adult from child bites
Common questions
Why is intercanine width useful for telling adult and child bites apart?+
Dental arch width increases as the jaw grows through childhood into adulthood, so a bite mark showing canine tip separation above the adult threshold is inconsistent with having been made by a young child, whose narrower arch would leave closer-set marks.
Is intercanine width alone sufficient to rule a bite mark in or out as an adult bite?+
It is a screening measurement rather than a conclusive one, since skin distortion and measurement error can shift the apparent width, so it is typically weighed alongside other dental and mark characteristics rather than used in isolation.
Related terms
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- Mandated Reporter
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- Patterned Injury
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