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Updated: Aug 14, 2026

Systematic Assessment of Mammalian Skull Specimens for Dental and Temporomandibular Joint Pathology
Published on: August 22, 2022
Talon cusp in a primary lateral incisor from a medieval child
1Ancient Monuments Laboratory, English Heritage Centre for Archaeology, Portsmouth, UK. simon.mays@englishheritage.org.uk
Abstract:
This paper describes talon cusp in an ancient skeleton and is a rare report of its occurrence in a primary lateral incisor. As well as talon cusp, the affected incisor also shows abnormal widening, probably representing a double tooth. There is also a supernumerary permanent incisor. The report shows that talon cusp existed in British populations more than 600 years before the first written description. A brief review of the literature on the occurrence of talon cusp in the primary dentition is presented.
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