Arterial supply of the maxillary teeth in the crab-eating monkey (Macaca fascicularis).

Superior dental rami diverging from arterial multi-resources of the crab-eating monkey were investigated by means of plastic corrosion castings. Correlations between the dental ramus/rami entering the apical foramen/foramina of each maxillary tooth were elucidated. Superior dental rami supplying the maxillary teeth diverged from the posterior superior alveolar, infraorbital, descending palatine, major palatine and sphenopalatine arteries as follows: The posterior superior alveolar gave rise to molar branches which supplied three molars and rarely an additional two premolars, to premolar branches and to a canine branch as its terminus. The infraorbital gave off canine branches. The descending palatine gave rise to a molar branch which supplied the lingual root of each molar. The major palatine gave rise to a premolar branch which supplied the lingual roots of two premolars and the 1st molar, and an incisive branch which supplied two incisors. The sphenopalatine supplied the lingual root of each molar and rarely the 1st premolar in addition. Two incisors were supplied by the major palatine (100%), the canine by the posterior superior alveolar (50%), this artery and the infraorbital (43.3%) or the infraorbital only (6.7%). Three roots of each premolar were supplied by the posterior superior alveolar, occasionally the lingual root (16.7%) and mesiobuccal root (3.3%) of the 1st premolar by the major palatine, the lingual root of the 2nd premolar by the major palatine (6.7%) and the sphenopalatine (3.3%). Two buccal roots of each molar were also supplied by the posterior superior alveolar (100%), occasionally the lingual root of the 1st molar by the descending palatine (6.7%), the major palatine (6.7%) or the sphenopalatine (3.3%), the lingual root of the 2nd molar by the descending palatine (30%), the sphenopalatine (10.0%) or the infraorbital (3.3%), the lingual root of the 3rd molar by the descending palatine (23.3%), the sphenopalatine (20.0%) or the infraorbital (3.3%). Superior dental rami diverging from the posterior superior alveolar artery were distributed to the molars, premolars and canine as principal arterial vessels of the crab-eating monkey. The descending palatine, sphenopalatine and the infraorbital arteries were supplementary to the above main arteries. Two incisors were only supplied by the major palatine but the anterior and middle superior alveolar were not observed.