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DENTAL HEALTH…Types of Teeth and Their Functions
By Dr. Neromini Fagu
Most of us will shed our twenty baby teeth and have them replaced by our thirty-two adult teeth, which if we take care of properly should last us our entire life. Each type of tooth has a specific function. Sometimes when we lose one type the
remaining teeth have to function in ways they are not supposed to. This week we are going to look at the different types of teeth and the role they play in our mouths.
From primary school you may recall that there are four types of teeth. Ask the grade sixers who just recently completed their national exams and they will readily rattle off the jobs of these teeth. The types of adult teeth located going from front to back in our mouths are incisors, canines, premolars and molars. You may be surprised to know that there are no baby premolars.
Incisors
These are the four teeth in the front and center of our mouths. There are eight in total with four in the top jaw and four in the bottom jaw. The two in the in the middle are called the central incisors and are wider and longer than the neighbouring lateral incisors. The incisors are usually the first set of teeth to erupt, at around six months of age. We use our incisors to bite into our food.
Canines
We have a total of four canines, two in our upper jaw and two in our lower jaw. They are found next to the lateral incisors in a location said to be the corner of the mouth. Sometimes they are referred to as cuspids because anatomically they possess one cusp.The canines in the upper jaw are also sometimes called the “eye teeth”.
The canines are usually the longest teeth in our mouth. These are also our sharpest teeth and are used for tearing and ripping food apart.
Premolars
We have a total of eight premolars with four first premolars and four second premolars. The premolars are sometimes referred to as bicuspids, and not surprisingly so as those teeth have two cusps. Premolars are only found in adult teeth. There are no baby premolars. The baby molars occupy the space where the adult premolars would erupt. Premolars are used for chewing and grinding food.
Molars
Most adults have a total of 12 molars with three in each quadrant of the mouth, and these are the first, second and third molars. The third molars are also referred to as your wisdom teeth. The first type of adult teeth to erupt is the first molars and this occurs at around six years of age. Parents have to be careful as sometimes they mistake these first adult molars as baby teeth thinking they will be replaced.
During the period of mixed dentition, there will be present both baby molars and adult molars. The adult molars do not replace any baby teeth but come in behind the baby molars. Our molars are the workhorse of our mouth and like the premolars are also used for chewing and grinding foods.
Our teeth are very important to us and we should not take them for granted. For good dental health you need to brush and floss your teeth properly, eat a healthy diet, and visit your dentist for regular dental cleanings and checkups.
For more information contact OMNI DENTAL at 295 Quamina Street, Georgetown Tel: 227-0025, Parika Tel: 260-3133 or send emails to [email protected].
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