The |canines| flank the incisors in the front corners of the |mouth|. The |canines| (so called because of their resemblance to the more pronounced, fang-like counterparts of dogs' |teeth|) are predominantly conical, raising to a sharper point above the level of the other |teeth|. This structure makes the |canines| well suited to piercing and tearing pieces of food to be processed by the other |teeth|. The roots of |canines| have single root stems, like the incisors and the premolars.