Types of Teeth and Their Function

A lot of essential functions are affected by the teeth. It is therefore essential to understand the teeth and keep it in the optimal condition. The teeth are responsible for chewing food, and as a result, it aids digestion. Also, the teeth affect our ability to speak. As a result, we can become healthy or otherwise based on how we treat the teeth.

Part of the process of taking care of the teeth is having adequate knowledge of its functionality.

The Components of the Tooth

A tooth has two different parts and four different tissues. A tooth has the crown and the root. The crown is the tangible and visible part of the tooth that you see when you open the mouth. On the other hand, the root is the unseen, invisible part of the teeth that makes the crown “rooted” to the bone.

Every tooth also has four tissues. Each tissue is unique in its features and functions.

Enamel

The enamel is the component of the tooth that serves as its covering. The enamel contains phosphorous and calcium. As a result, it is tough and therefore, serves as a protection for the other tissues in the tooth.

Dentin

The Dentin is the next tissue after the enamel. It also serves as a covering for the crown. The dentin is inferior to the enamel in term of strength. Therefore the enamel serves as the protection for the dentin.

Cementum

While the enamel and the dentin serve as covering for the crown, the cementum serves as the covering for the root. The cementum is soft and flexible and not as strong as the dentin. The gum covers the cementum. Therefore, it is the first tissue to be at risk when you don’t maintain the gum adequately. It can be easily attacked by bacteria and plaque when the gum is not well taken care of.

Pulp

The pulp is the nutritional tissue of the bone. It is the part of the bone that houses all the nutritional elements contained in the bone like the blood vessels and the nerves. It is at the very center of the tooth.

How the teeth develop

As a part of understanding the teeth, we must come to grasp with the way the teeth develop. The development of the teeth takes place in distinct stages. It begins with the development of the baby or milk teeth and then the permanent teeth.

Medical research has told us that the teeth begin to develop even before a tooth appears in the baby’s mouth. Teeth development starts in the early second trimester. Consequently, the development of the teeth is before the appearance of the teeth.

Secondly, it has been noted that it is the crown of the teeth that develop first and then the root develops. Unlike the development of the crown though, the root continues to develop even when it is formed.
Thirdly, all the milk/primary teeth develop by the child’s birthday. The milk teeth remain for the next three years. When the child is Six, the milk/primary teeth begin to fall off and give way for the permanent teeth for the next six years.
Also, scientific research has also shown that the top molar on the right and that on the left develop simultaneously. This means that the teeth develop symmetrically.

Types of Teeth and their function

The teeth have many combinations of the tooth that are similar in shape and function. You can divide the human teeth into four different parts. We have the incisors, the canines, the premolars, and the molars. These four teeth type make up the human teeth.

Incisors

The incisors are the most visible of all the teeth. Also, they are also the fastest to develop. The permanent teeth contain four incisors on the upper jaw and four incisors on the lower jaw. The eight incisors have the primary function of biting food as a result of their sharpness.

Canines

The canines are the next to develop after the canines. They are sharper than the canine and meant for ripping and tearing food. There are two canines on the upper jaw and two canines in the lower jaw. For the milk teeth, the upper canines appear before the lower canines (a four months difference) while for the permanent teeth, the lower canines appear two years before the upper canines.

Premolars

The premolars like the canines are also four in number. There are two premolars on the upper jaw and also two premolars on the lower jaw on either side of the mouth. Together, the premolars are responsible for the chewing and the grinding of food. The premolars are absent in the milk teeth. They only start to develop within that 6-12 age bracket when the milk teeth begin to give way to the permanent teeth.

Molars

Molars develop in a child as part of the milk teeth between a year and 1.5 years. Later on, as the child develops, the milk teeth molars are replaced by the premolars. The permanent molars develop two on the upper jaw and two on the lower jaw before the premolars replace the primary ones while two others develop after the premolars have replaced the primary molars. In a fully formed adult, there are four molars on either side of the mouth.
The molars are also responsible for chewing and grinding like the premolars.

Third molars

The third molars develop the later. They don’t develop in many adults at all. On the average, they grow (when they do) between the ages seventeen to twenty. In many cases, the existence of the third molars (also known as wisdom teeth) can cause harm to the overall teeth health and may need to be removed by the dentist.

There, a basic introduction to the teeth. It is essential to take time to take care of the teeth for optimal health of the mouth and the whole body. You don’t want to have a toothache or an unhealthy gum. As a result, always take care of your teeth like you do other parts of the body. Brush regularly, eat well, avoid smoking and other substances that destroy the teeth and make it a duty to visit your dentist regularly.