Description
Found within the alveolar arches and embedded within the gingiva, the teeth are the hardest tissues of the human body. They function to mechanically prepare food for swallowing and digestion, aid in speech, as well as serve a defensive role (biting).
Description
The teeth can be classified based on their emergence and shape.
- In most cases, the first teeth begin to emerge at the age of 6 months.
- By the age of 3, most children have 20 deciduous (primary) teeth.
- As early as the age of 6, the primary teeth start falling out, being replaced by 32 permanent (secondary) teeth.
Generally, we divide the alveolar arches into 4 quadrants; in adults, each quadrant consists of:
- 2 incisors
- 1 canine
- 2 premolars
- 3 molars
They are numbered 1-32, starting from the upper-right 3rd molar (1), in a a clockwork direction down to the lower-right 3rd molar (32).
The shape and location of each tooth determines its function (tearing, slicing, cutting, and grinding).