Your teeth play an important role in your life, whether you realize it or not. They aid in the digestion process and they help you speak clearly. But have you ever stopped and wondered how and why they work the way they do? Here’s everything you need to know about the anatomy of your teeth.
Types of teeth
The average adult has 32 teeth in their mouth, including wisdom teeth. In your mouth, you will typically find around 5 different types of teeth. From front to back you will typically find 8 incisors, 4 canines, 8 premolars, and 12 molars. Each type of tooth has a different appearance and job in the mouth. They are as follows:
Incisor: These are the flat teeth in the front of your mouth – the ones you see the most when you smile. They help you cut up food.
Canines: These are the pointy teeth and are good for cutting up and tearing food.
Premolars: These are similar in appearance to your molars, but feature only two bumps. They are great for tearing up food and crushing it.
Molars: Molars are the teeth you’ll find towards the back of your mouth and feature several bumps. They are the ones that do most of the grinding and chewing of your food.
Parts of a tooth
In addition to having different types of teeth, each of your teeth also has three main parts: the crown, the neck, and the root.
Crown: The crown is the portion of the tooth that is visible and sticks up from the gums.
Neck: This is the part of the tooth between the crown and roots. It contains gums, pulp, and pulp cavity.
Root: The root is the base of the tooth that holds your teeth in place and keeps them connected to the tooth sockets. The root is a complex portion of the tooth, made up of the root canal, cementum, periodontal ligament, nerves, blood vessels, and the jawbone.
Now that you know more about the teeth, you’ll feel more informed and better prepared going into your next dentist appointment. You can use this information to better explain what problems you may be having, or any concerns you might have.
