The 4 types of human teeth

A summary of the types of teeth in the human mouth, classified and described according to their functions.

Facial anatomy is essential for human beings, not only for speakingnot only for speaking, but also for gesturing and projecting a concrete vision of ourselves to the outside world.

According to professional sources, more than 65% of communication in our species is non-verbal, that is, we rely on gestures, tones and contexts to convey what we want to say as succinctly as possible, regardless of what our words may suggest.

Facial musculature is essential for communication between two people, but beyond that, teeth also play a vital role. Oral hygiene is an indication of personal self-care, discipline and, to some extent, economic status and sexual suggestiveness. A smile with aligned teeth creates facial harmony and gives a sense of stability, neatness, and symmetry, among many other things.

Beyond aesthetics, teeth are essential to grind food and form the food bolus, to prevent it from escaping through the mouth, to support the tongue in the formation of sounds and many other things. If you want to know the types of teeth and their functionality in the human being, read on..

What are the types of teeth in humans?

The tooth, from a physiological point of view, is defined as a hard, white anatomical organ that grows, along with other structures, in the mouth of humans and other vertebrates. Their main function is to cut and chew food, although in some taxa some teeth are also used as a method of defense and attack (especially felids and caniformes, hence the size of their canines).

Normally, when we come to the classification of teeth, we resort directly to the structures present in the mouths of adults. In this case, we will first make special mention of the deciduous dentition, and then go through the permanent teeth and their function, both phonetic and digestive.

1. Deciduous dentition

The deciduous dentition or "milk teeth" refers to the first set of teeth that appear during the ontogeny of humans and other mammals.. The first to appear are the lower central incisors (6-9 months), then the rest of the incisors (10 months) and thereafter the first canines and molars (15-21 months). The last teeth to erupt are the second molars, 24 months after birth.

Once all the temporary structures appear, the infant has 20 total teeth, 10 in the upper arch and 10 in the lower arch (4 incisors+2 canines+4 molars). The crown and root of these dental structures is much weaker than those present in the permanent dentition, and in addition, the enamel and dentin layers are less thick. The mineral composition is also lower, hence the milky-white coloration, as opposed to the normal yellowish shade.

The correct growth of the deciduous dentition is essential for proper oral hygiene. is essential for proper oral hygiene in adulthood.. Among all the functions of the deciduous teeth, we can highlight the following:

• They serve as an eruption guide: the milk teeth mark the path for the appearance of the permanent teeth. In addition, as they fall out gradually, errors can be detected and corrected before the definitive dentition is fully established.
• Digestion and assimilation: allow the consumption of solid foods at the time of maximum development.
• Stimulation: thanks to the chewing process with the deciduous dentition, the synthesis and emergence of the missing permanent teeth is stimulated.
• Phonation: the tongue relies on the incisor teeth ("pallets") to produce certain sounds. These are called "dental consonants".

The posterior deciduous molars are usually the last to fall out, between 10 and 12 years of age.. From the age of 13, the human being presents the complete dentition that will accompany him/her for the rest of his/her life.

2. Permanent dentition

Unlike the previous case, the permanent dentition is composed of 32 teeth, 16 in each arch (4 incisors+2 canines+4 premolars+6 molars X 2). (4 incisors+2 canines+4 premolars+6 molars X 2). You must take into account that, in turn, each arch is divided in two if we take into account the splitting of the sagittal plane (the face composed of two halves).

The permanent dentition presents a thick layer of dental enamel, formed by hydroxyapatite and proteins. Surprising as it may seem, this biological conformation gives rise to the strongest biological tissue in the entire human body and in the entire world, at least in nature. Beyond the enamel, various structures are distinguished, such as dentin, root cementum, dental pulp and periodontium.

In the following, we will briefly review each of the types of permanent teeth.We will not only look at their chewing function.

2.1 Incisors

As we have said, there are a total of 8 teeth (4 on top and 4 on the bottom), that form the front section of the mouth and the main component of the smile.. They have a sharp edge, as their main component is to cut food. If we look at the functionality of each tooth with a maximum of 100% in all its tasks together, we will see that the incisors present a 10% masticatory work and a 90% phonetic/aesthetic work.

Without any doubt, the lack of an upper incisor is an aesthetic feature that completely breaks the facial harmony, and that is why we always resort to fillings, veneers and false teeth (depending on the severity of the injury) to replace it. Moreover, as we have said, thanks to the incisors and the tongue in conjunction, dental consonants are formed, such as /t/, /d/, /d/, /d/, /d/, /d/ and /d/.such as /t/, /d/, /n/, and /l/.

2.2 Canines

The canines are a total of 4 teeth, 2 in the upper dental arch and 2 in the lower dental arch (one on each side of the sagittal plane), whose main function is to tear food.

Because of their role in cutting up meat and other hard foods, it is not hard to imagine why carnivorous animals have such highly developed canines (tusks). They have a pointed cusp shape, with a large coronal and radicular size.. Twenty percent of their work is chewing and 80% is phonetic and esthetic.

2.3 Premolars

8 teeth (4 in each dental arch), with a larger total surface area than the canines and two pointed cusps. They are generally designated as bicuspid dental structures, although it is true that the second lower premolar has 3 cusps.

Their main function is to crush the food and allow it to mix with saliva, which contains enzymes (such as α-amylase) responsible for starting the digestion process. The function of the premolars is 60% masticatory, although they also present 40% of phonatory work, since they participate in the creation of the "alveolar consonants".as they participate in the creation of the "alveolar consonants".

2.4 Molars

The bulk of the human dental apparatus. The molars are a total of 12 teeth, 6 in each dental arch and 3 in each sagittal plane (3x4=12). Their function is the same as that of the premolars, but these teeth have 4 to 5 prominences on their surface. The main task of the molars is to break up the food as much as possible so that the food bolus is easy to digest in the stomach region. in the stomach region. Their function is almost 100% chewing.

Interestingly, humans seem to be undergoing a clear food transition that has been going on for hundreds of years. Because we no longer consume vegetable matter with a high content of cellulose and other compounds that are difficult to digest, certain parts of our Gastrointestinal tract have shortened, giving rise to structures such as the vermiform appendix. This is also reflected in dental shape, and as a result, many people lack third molars.

This phenomenon is known as dental agenesis or anodontia. It is estimated that approximately 25% of the world's population lacks wisdom teeth.These structures usually cause more problems than benefits once they begin to erupt in the gum environment. If these teeth are really useless or harmful today, it can be speculated that in the future the human species will have gotten rid of them in their entirety.

Summary

If we want you to keep a central idea in mind, it is the following: the deciduous dental apparatus is composed of 20 teeth, while the permanent dental apparatus has 32 (8 incisors, 4 canines, 8 premolars and 12 molars). While the incisors have an eminently phonatory and esthetic function, the molars are responsible for disintegrating food almost 100%. Each type of tooth has a different function, but they are all complementary and base their work on two fronts: enabling speech and food processing.