Image Source: American Dental Association
Your teeth are an essential part of your body's overall health. They serve several important functions throughout your lifetime including the formation of your speech, chewing, digesting, and maintaining proper spacing for the rest of your teeth.
When dentists take a look in your mouth, they see four categories of teeth. These four categories of teeth tell the dentist about the function of a particular tooth and how it fits into the overall functioning of your mouth. This week on our blog, we're going to educate you on the four different categories of teeth and explain their function. They are:
Incisors: Incisors are usually the first teeth to erupt—or appear—in a child's mouth. They're a single rooted tooth and they tend to show up around 6 months of age, with your permanent incisors usually showing up between 6 and 8 years of age. You'll develop a total 8 incisors—four central and two lateral incisors—in the front and center of your mouth. Incisors have sharp edges like a knife, and their primary purpose is to cut food with those sharp, thin edges.
Canines: Your canine teeth, sometimes called cuspids or eye teeth, are usually the second kind of teeth you'll see in your child's mouth. Canine teeth usually begin to make their appearance between 16 and 20 months of age. The upper canines commonly erupt as baby teeth before the lower ones, but when you start getting your permanent canines, it's usually the lower ones that come in first. Permanent canines should be set in around age 12. Canine teeth are usually pointed and their primary use is for ripping and tearing your food as you eat.
Premolars: Premolars rest behind your canine teeth. These teeth are sometimes called biscuspids despite actually having 3 cusps, which is why the more accurate term for them is premolars. There are four premolars on each side of your mouth. You have a total of eight, with two on the lower jaw, and two on the upper jaw. Your child will get his or her first premolars around the age of 10. These teeth are used to hold, crush, and grind your food.
Molars: Molars are the big teeth all the way at the back of your mouth. Most children see the eruption of their primary molars between 12 and 15 months of age, with all their permanent molars arriving somewhere between ages 17 and 21. These teeth have big chewing surfaces with many cusps and are primarily used for grinding your food.
Thanks for Reading!
The next time you floss, see if you can clearly identify each different type of tooth. We hope our blog post this week helps you see a clearer picture of what's going on in your mouth. If you enjoy our dental tips, facts, and news, please like or share our page Facebook and help us get the word out about great oral health.