Teeth names - Types of Teeth

Teeth names, Names of the teeth

An adult has 32 permanent teeth. The incisors and canine teeth tear and cut food, and premolars and molars are used to grind and crush. The four back teeth are called the wisdom teeth or third molars.

You've probably noticed that you have different types of permanent teeth in your mouth. Each one has its own function. Your two front teeth and the teeth on either side of them are incisors . There are four on the top and four on bottom.

The pointy teeth beside your incisors are called canine teeth. There are four of them, two on top and two on bottom. Because these teeth are pointy, they help tear food.

Next to your canine teeth are your premolars, which are also called bicuspid teeth. You have eight premolars in all, four on top and four on the bottom. You'll need to open a bit wider to see these teeth, but when you do, you'll notice that their shape is completely different from both incisors and canines. Premolars are bigger, stronger, and have ridges, which make them perfect for crushing and grinding food.

If you open your mouth really wide, you'll see your molars. You have eight of these, four on the top and four on the bottom. Sometimes these are called your 6-year molars and your 12-year molars because that is around the time when they come in.

Molars are the toughest of the bunch. They are even wider and stronger than premolars, and they have more ridges. Molars work closely with your tongue to help you swallow food.

The last teeth a person gets are wisdom teeth. These are also called third molars. They are all the way in the back of the mouth, one in each corner.

Wisdom teeth aren't used for anything and they are often removed because they can cause problems in a person's mouth.