Oral Organization: The 4 Types of Teeth & How They Benefit You

As much as you may value your teeth, you likely don’t know the specifics about them. Most people lump them all into one “smile part” along with the gums, tongue, etc. Still, you really should consider the four types of teeth and their roles in your mouth. You’d then have a better appreciation of them and feel more motivated to maintain them. With that said, here’s a primer on the four kinds of teeth and how they benefit you.

Incisors

In this tour of teeth types, let’s look at the incisors first. These pearly whites are fairly visible and get their share of looks from outsiders.

Incisors – also known as “cutting teeth” – are located at the front of your mouth (i.e., the dental arch). With four in the upper jaw and four in the lower, each one has a shape similar to that of a small chisel. That means incisors are flat and broad, having an overall shovel-like structure. This design allows the teeth to aid you in eating, biting food into chewable pieces.

Canines

After the incisors come the canines, which serve crucial roles in your body’s health. You won’t want to forget about them.

Canines or “cuspids” are adjacent to the incisors, so they sit toward the front of the mouth. People generally have about four of them, two set in the upper jaw and two in the bottom. Their pointiness ensures you can break food into smaller, easier-to-chew pieces. Indeed, their strength and durability in this task comes from them being the longest teeth in the mouth.

Premolars

Premolars don’t get as much visual attention as incisors and canines. However, they still matter quite a lot to your mouth and health.

The premolars sit between the canines and molars, sitting at the back of the mouth. Humans thus have eight of them, with two on either side of one’s smile and in the upper and lower jaw respectively. Their structure is a blend of canines and molars, so they excel at tearing and crushing food through chewing. That means they break food apart into pieces you can digest well.

Molars

Last but certainly not least, there are the molars. These teeth are the “heavy lifters” of the smile, being kinds no one can do without.

Molars are located at the very back of the mouth, and they’re the strongest among the types. Humans have twelve of them that are divided between the left and right sides of the upper and lower jaws. Thanks to their massive surface areas, molars facilitate the grinding up tough foods into small pieces. The average person couldn’t eat chewy stuff without having them as part of their smile.

Having learned about the four types of teeth, you’re now in a better place to look after them. Make sure they stay healthy and safe so you can keep eating well!

About the Practice

The DFW Implant Center is based in Colleyville, TX. Led by Drs. Branberg or Cancemi, our practice primarily focuses on dental implants, dentures, and other quality tooth replacements. However, we prize comprehensive care and thus offer preventive and general dentistry as well. You can thus trust our DFW team to address your grin’s issues, whatever they may be! For more details or to book a visit, please contact us on our website or by phone at (817)-440-7133.