Distinctive of kinds of teeth and their capacity

It would not be a false statement if we say that healthy teeth are vital to oral health. Teeth are undoubtedly the most important part of our mouth. Not only do they help you in chewing your food, but also in digesting it as well. You are able to speak well and smile with confidence only because of your teeth. In general, human being and mammals have different types of teeth.

Development of your Teeth

Human beings have two sets of teeth, baby or primary teeth, and permanent teeth, which perform the same function. But they appear or develop at different times. There are 20 primary teeth which begin to grow at the age of 3 months from birth, remaining in their place till the child has grown of about 6 years. Now the primary teeth start to fall out after the age of 6, getting replaced by the permanent set of teeth.

The parts of your tooth

1. Crown

This is the topmost part of the tooth which everybody can see. The function of the tooth is determined by the structure of the tooth. For example, front teeth are chisel-shaped and sharp for cutting, while molars are flat surfaces for grinding.

2. Enamel

Enamel is the hardest and highly mineralized substance in the body. Enamel is the outer outermost layer of the tooth which is normally visible and should be strongly supported by underlying dentin.

3. Dentin

Dentin is located between Enamel and pulp chamber, which is secreted by odontoblasts of the dental pulp. Because of being softer than Enamel, Dentin is prone to decay first and is subject to severe cavities if not treated properly.

4. Cementum

Cementum is a bone-like substance and properly covers the root of the tooth. It is secreted by cementoblasts within the root of the tooth.

5. Dental Pulp

Dental pulp is the central part of the tooth made of soft connective tissue. Dental pulp consists of blood vessels and nerves that enter the mouth from a hole at the apex of the root. The pulp is generally called as the ‘nerve’ of the tooth.

Four different types of Teeth

An adult has a total of 32 teeth, having different shapes as well as different functions to perform inside the mouth. There are 4 kinds of teeth namely:       

                 1. Incisors  

The first adult teeth that grow after the primary teeth are Incisors. There are eight Incisors in the mouth, four in the top centre of the mouth, and four in the bottom centre. These teeth are characterized by being thin, flat bottom teeth that help to make the initial bite of the food. Incisors have a narrow edge, henceforth are adapted to cutting the food. These teeth start growing in the mouth in the first six months and develop themselves completely by the ages of 6-8 years. 

 

                 2. Canines

Canines are the sharpest pair of four teeth in the mouth. These four Canines in the human mouth resemble the teeth of the carnivorous predator. Just like Incisors, two Canines are located above and the other two below. Canines are sharp pointed teeth on the side of the Incisors. These teeth should be kept in a very healthy state as they are immensely involved in the tearing and wearing of the food in the process of eating.

Canines start appearing between 11 – 20 months of the age. Canines take 11 – 12 years to be in formidable lifelong shape. Smoking and chewing betel nuts adversely affect the canines. 

 

                 3. Premolars or Bicuspids

The first molars teeth that start coming in around 12-13 years of age are the Premolars. They are located at each side of the mouth, between the molar and canine teeth. Premolars have properties of both anterior canines and posterior molars, henceforth food can be transferred from canines to the premolars and finally to the molars for the grinding process, instead of reaching from canines to molars directly.

 

                   4. Molars

The large flattened teeth on the backside of the mouth are the Molars. The Primary use of molar teeth is grinding and chewing food. Molars are prone to germ attacks and various infections, hence a proper dental care is a must. These were the four types of teeth in your mouth. Now that you are aware of the sensitivity of the teeth in your mouth, hence you should take proper care of your dental health. Apart from that, you should never miss going to have an oral health check-up, twice every 6 months.