Teeth

• Incisors


  8 teeth used for cutting and chopping food. Examples include the front teeth used to bite into apples or the pointed tips of the incisors used to cut into meat.
• Canines


  4 teeth used for piercing and tearing food. They are pointed and designed for holding and tearing food apart.
• Premolars


  8 teeth used for crushing and tearing food. They have a flat surface and are designed for crushing and grinding food into smaller pieces.
• Molars


  12 teeth used for grinding and crushing food. They are designed for grinding and crushing food into a pulp, making it easier to digest.
• Temporary Teeth Function

  Deciduous teeth help children chew and digest food, and also save space for the permanent teeth to erupt properly. They are replaced by permanent teeth as they come in.
• Childhood Teeth Number

  There are 20 primary teeth in a healthy child's mouth: 8 incisors, 4 canines, 8 molars. These primary teeth start to erupt when the child is around 6 months old and continue to come in until the child is around 3 years old.
• Adult Teeth Number


  There are 32 permanent teeth in a healthy adult human mouth: 8 incisors, 4 canines, 8 premolars, and 12 molars (including 4 wisdom teeth).