Talon Cusp: A Clinically Significant Anomaly in a Primary Incisor from Pre-Columbian America

Shafer, Hine, and Levy describe the talon cusp, a structure resembling an eagle’s talon, as a cusp projecting lingually from the cingulum area of a maxillary or mandibular permanent incisor. This cusp blends smoothly with the tooth except that there is a deep developmental groove where the cusp blends with the sloping lingual tooth surface. The cusp is composed of a normal enamel and dentin and contains a horn of pulp tissue