In the lifetime of a human being, generally, there are two stages, the primary teeth stage and the permanent teeth stage which appear in adulthood.

The teeth are classified as incisors, canines, premolars (bicuspids) and molars. The different kinds of teeth also have varied functionality. The incisors are mainly used for cutting, while canines are used for tearing and molars are for grinding purposes.

The teeth are the hardest substance in the human body besides being the organ for processing the food we eat, they play a prominent role in our speech capabilities too.

The parts of the teeth are the outermost enamel, under which you have the dentin, which is a hard tissue with underlying tubes, then the softer inner layer called pulp which contains the blood vessels and the nerves. The final part is the cementum which binds the root of the teeth to the gums.

Baby Teeth

As the baby teeth appear, we can see that there are 20 first teeth, called primary teeth which appear they include 4 second molars, 4 first molars, 4 cuspids or canine teeth, 4 lateral incisors and 4 central incisors.

The arrangement of teeth is such that for each set of four teeth, two teeth are located in the upper jaw one on each side of the mouth and two are located in the lower jaw one on each side of the mouth.

Permanent Teeth

As the child grows, many changes happen where teeth fall and regrow into permanent teeth. A fully grown adult will have 32 permanent teeth in the mouth. This include 4 third molars or wisdom teeth, 4-second molars, 4 first molars, 4 second bicuspids 4 first bicuspids, 4 cuspids or canines, 4 lateral incisors and 4 central incisors.

Functions of the teeth

The various types of teeth we have are meant for different functions:

Biting and tearing

The central and the lateral incisors are primarily used for eating and cutting while the canines are used for splitting the food.

Grinding and crushing

The premolars, molars and wisdom teeth are primarily used for chewing and grinding of food.

Teeth Structure

Each tooth consists of three main parts the crown, which is right on the top, the enamel covers the crown. The neck is the area between the crown and the root of the teeth and finally the root of the teeth which extends through the gums to the bones of the jaw.