Introduction:
Your teeth are important. They let you chew your food and make it easier to speak clearly. They shape your face and give you your smile.
Primary teeth start to develop even before birth and they will begin to erupt by the age of one. Children will have a full set of “baby teeth” by the time they are three.
Primary teeth are replaced by 28 permanent ones at around the age of eighteen. Some people will also have four wisdom teeth in addition.
Tooth Anatomy:
Each tooth is made up of several layers. Enamel is the outer layer and serves as the protector of the three inner layers, the dentin which extends to the roots, the cementum and pulp. The pulp supplies blood to the teeth until they are fully developed.
Tooth Types:
Your teeth all function to allow you to eat your food properly. The 4 incisors on the top and bottom are good for biting off food. Next to the incisors are the two cuspids which are sometimes referred to as “canines.” They are sharp enough to cut through the food that you bite off. Next in line going across are the bicuspids. Again, there are 4 on top and four on the bottom. Their ridges are used to grind up your food so that you can swallow it easily.
Your fist and second molars are located farther back in your mouth. They grind your food to an even finer consistency.
Some people develop a third set of molars. They are the “wisdom teeth.”