Teeth from Birth to Adulthood
Baby Teeth
A child's mouth contains 20 temporary teeth, called primary teeth, baby teeth, or deciduous teeth, consisting of the following teeth types:
For each set of four teeth, two teeth are located in the upper arch (one on each side of the mouth) and two are located in the lower arch (one on each side of the mouth).
Permanent Teeth
The adult mouth contains 32 permanent teeth, consisting of the following teeth types:
Teeth Functions
Your teeth are used for:
Biting and tearing. The central incisors and lateral incisors are primarily used for biting and cutting and canine teeth are primarily used for tearing food.
Grinding and crushing. The premolars, molars, and wisdom teeth are primarily used for chewing and grinding food.
Internal Structure of Teeth
Each tooth consists of three main parts - the crown, the neck and root.