We have four different types of teeth, with each type serving a particular purpose for eating and chewing.
- 8 Incisors.
- 4 Canines.
- 8 Premolars.
- 12 Molars (including 4 wisdom teeth)
What are canines? Your four canine teeth sit next to the incisors. You have two canines on the top of your mouth and two on the bottom. Canines have a sharp, pointy surface for tearing food.
Deciduous teeth — also known as baby teeth, primary teeth, or milk teeth — are your first teeth. They start developing during the embryonic stage and start to erupt through the gums about 6 months after birth. All 20 of them are typically in by age 2½.
A normal adult mouth has 32 teeth, which (except for wisdom teeth) have erupted by about age 13: Incisors (8 total): The middlemost four teeth on the upper and lower jaws. Canines (4 total): The pointed teeth just outside the incisors. Premolars (8 total): Teeth between the canines and molars.
Bicuspids are also called premolar teeth because they are located between our canines and our molars in the backs of our mouths. Bicuspid is the more common name. Bicuspid or premolar teeth typically come in between ages 12 and 13. They are part of your adult teeth.
The canines (or cuspids, meaning a tooth with a single point) are on either side of the incisors. They are for holding and tearing food.
The lateral incisors are the teeth on either side of your two front teeth in your upper jaw.
Oral Health Care Zone for Grown-ups - Knowing Your Teeth - Shapes of teeth
| Name | Shape | Function |
|---|
| Incisor | Chisel shape | Chopping food |
| Canine | Sharp, pointy | Tearing food |
| Premolar (Does not exist in deciduous teeth) | The occlusal surface is wide and uneven. Diamond shape with pits and fissures on it. | Grinding food |
Human teeth are made up of four different types of tissue: pulp, dentin, enamel, and cementum. The pulp is the innermost portion of the tooth and consists of connective tissue , nerves, and blood vessels, which nourish the tooth.
Like incisors, molars are named after the function they perform. Molar is based on the Latin word “mola,†which means millstone. Just as a mill grinds grain into meal, molars — located near the back of your mouth — grind food.
The main distinctions between premolar and molar teeth are in their size and shape. While a molar has four cusps or points, a premolar has two to three. While premolars are larger and wider than your more narrow canine teeth and have a flat surface area, molars are significantly larger than their bicuspid neighbors.
Your teeth are divided into four types: incisors, cuspids, premolars and molars.
Milk teethMost children have a full set of 20 milk or baby teeth by the time they're 3 years old. When they reach 5 or 6, these teeth will start to fall out, making way for adult teeth.
Incisors are the teeth that you use to bite into your food. Canines - Your canines are the next teeth that develop in your mouth. You have four of them and they are your sharpest teeth, used for tearing apart food. Premolars - Premolars are used for tearing and crushing food.
Tooth-supporting structures are the periodontium, defined as those tissues supporting and investing the tooth, comprises root cementum, periodontal ligament, bone lining the tooth socket (alveolar bone), and that part of the gingiva facing the tooth (dentogingival junction) [2].
The cementum is a layer of hard tissue that covers the root of the tooth. It is roughly as hard as bone but considerably softer than enamel.
Carnivores and herbivores have different types of teeth, to suit the type of food they eat. Herbivores have teeth which are shaped to squash and grind plants. Carnivores have teeth which are shaped to slice and rip the meat they eat.
Incisors: These are the teeth at the front of the mouth and the most visible ones when we smile. Bicuspids: Also called premolars, the bicuspids come after the canines and are flatter than the canines and incisors. Molars: At the back of your mouth, you'll find wide, flat molars.
