Tooth Background

The human teeth are made out of calcified layers of tissue, which contrary to the popular belief that they made out of bone. Their primary function is to physically breakdown teeth in the process of ingestion and consequently aid in the digestion of comestibles. Teeth vary in function, structure, and shape, totaling at 32 in number in adults.

Maxillary

The term maxillary refers to the facial bone of the maxilla, which is commonly known as the upper jaw bone. Maxillary teeth are those that are found in the upper jaw bone. There is a total of 16 maxillary teeth in a grown human adult.

Mandible

The mandible is the lower jaw bone of the face and holds the lower teeth, which are known as mandibular teeth. The mandible is the part of the mouth that actually moves and is crucial to the chewing process while ingesting food.

Incisors

The incisors are the frontal teeth found in the human mouth. There a total of eight incisor teeth in humans, both found on the maxilla and mandible, with four on each bone. Incisors are the teeth that are meant for shearing or cutting food into smaller pieces.

Molar

The molars are the most complicated of the human teeth and also the ones that are located at the rearmost section of the human mouth. There are usually three types of molars found in humans, the primary molars, secondary molars, and third molars. The prime function of molars is to crush or grind food.

Premolar

The premolar teeth are located between the canines and molars in the human mouth. There are a total of eight premolars, with four on the maxilla bone and four on the mandible. They are often considered to be transitional teeth, having traits of both the canines and molars, combining both shearing and grinding properties while chewing food.

Canine

The canines are considered to be the longest and most stable teeth in humans. Their primary function is to hold food in place while chewing. There are two canines in the mandible and two canines in the maxilla, and have conical shape on the labial side, and flatter appearance on the lingual side.