It is very important for oral health that we chew and bite properly in order to maintain good health. What do you know about them? How many teeth do you have? There are 32 of them, right? However, this number does not exactly match up for everyone. It varies from adult to adult because everyone’s jaw is different. While some people are capable of adjusting all 32 teeth in their mouth, others may not be big enough. You should know a lot more about having 32 teeth. So, to learn more about the true meaning of 32 teeth and what getting wisdom teeth means, continue reading this article by the best dentist in wicker park. How Many Types of Teeth Do We Have? In general, everyone has four different types of teeth. These are –
- Incisors – These are the eight front teeth, four on each side of the top and bottom jaw. They are used for chopping and cutting food.
- Canine teeth – These are sharp and pointed teeth. There are two each in your upper and lower jaw, and one each on either side of your incisors, making a total of four.
- Bicuspids (Premolars) – There are eight premolars in the mouth, four on top and four at the bottom of the jaw. Their function is to break down food. Premolars have a flat biting surface, as opposed to incisors and canines.
- Molars – Molars are the largest of all teeth and are 12 in number. They perform the same function as premolars, i.e., grinding, breaking, and crushing food. The molars have a flattened biting surface that makes them ideal for this work.
Everyone has four different types of teeth in their mouth. However, are these teeth present from the beginning of their lives? Not really. It takes a certain period of time for different teeth to grow, such as baby teeth, adult teeth, and wisdom teeth. So, let’s learn more about them.
Milk Teeth: Newborns are born with 20 fully developed milk teeth, which are the first teeth to emerge from the gums. They do not appear at birth, but begin to appear at about 12 months of age, during the process known as “teething”. Eventually, these teeth fall out between the ages of 6 and 10 to make way for permanent adult teeth.
Adult Teeth: After the child’s milk teeth have fallen out, the adult teeth will start to emerge. Ideally, adults should have a complete set of 32 teeth by their late teens, which includes –
- 4 central incisors or front teeth
- 4 lateral incisors or side front teeth
- 4 canines
- 8 premolar teeth
- 4 first molar teeth or back teeth
- 4-second molar teeth or back teeth
- 4 third molar teeth or wisdom teeth
However, it is not necessary for wisdom teeth to fit properly in everyone’s mouth. It may even cause trouble for some, and they may need to be removed.
Wisdom teeth: There are four wisdom teeth in an adult’s mouth, which together complete the set of 32 teeth. Wisdom teeth generally add one flat-topped tooth on each side of the molars. In reality, everyone is born with all the teeth they need. This means that your wisdom was already present at the time of your birth. Additionally, you can have anywhere from four to no wisdom teeth. However, if your mouth is not large enough to accommodate 32 teeth, then you could have problems like –
- Having misaligned teeth
- Increased decay
- Wisdom teeth impacted
- Periodontal disease risk
People often go for wisdom teeth removal for reasons such as these, so problems like these can be resolved. A wisdom toothache is one of the most painful experiences for people, as well as a serious risk to the alignment of their teeth. Wisdom teeth removal is the only way to resolve these issues. For this, you can consider visiting Urban Smiles Dental, the best dental clinic in Chicago. Visit Urban Smiles Dental clinic today and say goodbye to all your dental worries as we take proper care of your dental hygiene and help you live a healthy life!