Dentist Yonkers NY Do You Know the Types Of Human Teeth

There are four different types of teeth found in the human mouth. Each type aids in the digestion process by chewing and grinding the food. By comparing size, shape and location teeth can be easily identified.

During pregnancy, the human teeth will start developing, and children until they are about the age of six years have a primary set of 20 "milk teeth". Humans develop 32 permanent teeth which are of four different types, with each having its own shape and particular function, in the second wave of production.

Baby teeth are made up of 20 teeth of five types. As adults, we have 32 permanent teeth made up of eight types.

Incisors
A total of eight incisors, or two sets of four on the upper and lower jaw, are located in the front and center of the mouth. The middle pair found on the top and bottom are named central incisors while lateral incisors are those found on each side of the pair. The flat, broad and chisel-like narrow edges of the incisors allow for a "chopping" motion and cutting of food into chewable pieces. Dentists also call incisors the sharpest teeth designed to move the food inward.

Canines
If the layout of teeth was divided into two sections on both the upper and lower jaw, humans have four canines, one in each quadrant of the jaw. Known as cuspids, canine teeth are located on each side of the incisors. These sharp and pointed teeth are anchored in the jaw by a long root which gives the canines stability needed for ripping, tearing and piercing motions. For consumption of tough foods like meat, the pointed surface is necessary.

Premolars
Right behind the canine teeth are two premolars on each side of the jaw, for a total of eight premolars. Having cusps on the top of their broad surfaces that allow for grinding and chewing, premolars also called bicuspids, perform their function. Premolars act as a combination of a canine and a molar because in addition to a broad chewing surface, according to Aetna, they also have sharp points on the surface for piercing and ripping food.

Molars
After the incisors or canines have bitten off a piece of food, it is pushed to the molars at the back of the jaw where it is chewed. Having a flattened surface and several cusps to chew, crush and grind food to the very smallest particle achievable before swallowing, molars are the largest teeth. With a combined total of 12, humans have three molars in each quadrant of the jaw. Numbered names are given to molars according to their location in the mouth : adjacent to second premolars towards the back of the mouth are the first molars, while the second and third molars follow after that. Though at times the wisdom teeth do not come out at all, they are the third molars and are the last to erupt.

Many adults choose to have their wisdom teeth removed for various reasons. There may not be enough space in the mouth to accommodate more teeth. During growth of the wisdom teeth, many people experience jaw pain and headaches.