The Four Types of Teeth

and Their Functions

 
Teeth have important jobs to do. They help us speak clearly, as well as chew and bite into food. They also give us our unique bright, shiny smiles. By the time your kiddos are adults, they will have between 28 and 32 teeth, depending on whether or not they end up getting their wisdom tooth removed. Among all those teeth there are four tooth types, and each has its own purpose.

Incisors These are the teeth at the front of the mouth and the most visible ones when we smile. An incisor cuts into food with surprising precision. If you’ve ever noticed, after biting into a sandwich, your incisors will leave obvious lines that form an arc.

Canines With their long roots and pointed ends, canines are in both the upper and bottom jaw. They’re located approximately behind the corners of the mouth, typically. Thanks to its sharp end, the canine tooth can help rip apart food. Your canines depend on your incisors and vice versa. Without canines, it would be more difficult to tear into harder items like crusty loaves of bread or cooked meats.

Bicuspids Also called premolars, the bicuspids come after the canines and are flatter than the canines and incisors. Your bicuspids don’t need to tear anything apart because your canines and incisors have already handled those first steps. By the time food gets to the bicuspids, it’s ready to be crushed into smaller pieces.

Molars At the back of your mouth, you’ll find wide, flat teeth with the most upper surface area of any teeth. Similar to bicuspids, molars grind down food into tiny particles that are easier to swallow. Molars are well-anchored into the jawbone to ensure they can handle the force of constantly chewing soft and hard items.

Every tooth is important with its own special job and once the adult teeth come in, they need to last a lifetime! Consequently, dental hygiene is extremely important. It’s paramount for your little one to develop a life-long habit of taking care of her pearly whites by brushing twice a day for two minutes, flossing once a day and getting regular 6-month checkups and cleanings.