We often don’t think about our teeth until we have to go to the dentist and then we worry whether we might have a cavity (a deterioration of the tooth enamel caused by infections and bacteria). Teeth are actually considered to be part of the digestive system as it is the teeth that begin the process of breaking down food into particles. The stronger and healthier the teeth are, the easier the rest of the digestive process will be. The digestive process is not very happy when we swallow something big. It has to go into overdrive to break it down. So the teeth are heavily relied upon.
Did you know that humans have two sets of teeth? The first set are the primary teeth which we more readily refer to as “baby teeth.” The second set of teeth are the permanent teeth.
There are a total of 20 primary teeth. The primary teeth can begin to fall out at around the age of 5 and by the time a child reaches the age of 13, they will have about 32 permanent or adult teeth.
TYPES OF TEETH
Each tooth falls into a specific category of teeth. These categories include:
The canine teeth (sometimes referred to as cuspids): The canine teeth (of which adults have 4, two up top and two on the bottom) come to what appears to be a blunt point. The canine teeth have only one root. The canine teeth are used to hold and then tear apart food.
The incisors: The incisors are the four upper and four lower front teeth in humans for a total of 8 incisors. Each incisor has 1 root.
The molars: The molars are wide, flat teeth found in the back of the mouth. It is the job of the molars to grind down food during the chewing process. Each molar in the top jaw has 3 roots while the lower jaw molars have 2 roots. In all, adults have 12 molars.
The premolars: The premolars, which are also referred to as the bicuspids, are located between the canine and the molars in humans. Each bicuspid has 1 root and two points at the top. Adults have a total of 8 premolars.
The wisdom teeth: The wisdom teeth, which have nothing to do with intelligence, are sometimes considered to be a third partial set of teeth because they are a third set of molars. Although just about everyone has wisdom teeth, in the majority of people, the wisdom teeth stay embedded under the gums.
PARTS OF A TOOTH
Each tooth has many parts to it. The crown is the visible part that you can see. The crown is coated with an enamel that is tough, shiny and white. Beneath the enamel is the dentin. The dentin is a hard porous tissue. In fact, the dentin is harder than bone. It is not only located beneath the enamel but it is also under the cementum. The cementum is a layer of tough, yellowish, bone-like tissue that covers the root of a tooth. It is the cementum that holds the tooth in its socket and it contains the periodontal membrane.
Inside of the dentin is the pulp which is the soft center of the tooth. The pulp is filled with nerves that transmit signals to and from the brain, telling the brain whether something is hot or cold, hard or soft. In addition to nerves, the pulp is also filled with blood vessels that feed and nourish the dentin.
The periodontal membrane, sometimes referred to as the periodontal ligament, is composed of fleshy tissue that is located between the tooth and the tooth socket. The periodontal membrane has tiny fibers that are embedded within the cementum.
The gums are the soft, pinkish tissue that surrounds the base of the tooth. Beneath the gum lies the root of the tooth. The root extends downward into the jawbone. Teeth will have anywhere from one root to four roots.
The best way to keep your teeth healthy is to brush them frequently and floss. One time we often do forget to brush our teeth is when we are ill and vomit. Vomit contains stomach acid that literally eats away at the tooth’s enamel so brushing after vomiting is always a wise act to follow in your fight against tooth decay and cavities.
Okay, now that you have had a mini-review of teeth, let’s see just how many of the following ten questions you can find the correct answer to. Are you ready? Then please begin!
