All about teeth: their names, their functions
To eat, talk properly, smile nicely, teeth are so useful and the message you deliver to your child is everyday: brushing your teeth helps to keep a good one hygiene oral and strong teeth.
Incisors, at the front of the jaw, are eight in number: four at the top and four at the bottom. They are used to slice food and are the first to be seen with a smile.
The canines, a little pointed, are four and stand between incisors and molars. They are used to snatch, especially meat. Their very long root makes them very strong teeth with sometimes delicate eruption. In carnivorous animals, they are called fangs and are particularly sharp. In contrast, herbivores do not have any.
The four premolars are placed between the canines and the molars. They are used to crush foods but are a little weaker than molars because they have only one or two roots.
Molars are the teeth that are the most at the back of the mouth and have the most complex structure. They have between two and three roots each. They can grind food. They appear around the age of 6 for the first four, then around the age of 12 for the next four, and finally as adults for the wisdom teeth. So we have 12 molars.
A baby teething before 6 years consists of 8 incisors, 4 canines and 4 premolars and 4 molars, or 20 teeth.
Between 6 and 12 years, 8 molars are added, then in adulthood 4 wisdom teeth complete the complete picture: 32 teeth.
Our advice
Tell your child in a fun way the name and function of his teeth encourages him to take care to preserve a good hygiene.
Incisors, at the front of the jaw, are eight in number: four at the top and four at the bottom. They are used to slice food and are the first to be seen with a smile.
The canines, a little pointed, are four and stand between incisors and molars. They are used to snatch, especially meat. Their very long root makes them very strong teeth with sometimes delicate eruption. In carnivorous animals, they are called fangs and are particularly sharp. In contrast, herbivores do not have any.
The four premolars are placed between the canines and the molars. They are used to crush foods but are a little weaker than molars because they have only one or two roots.
Molars are the teeth that are the most at the back of the mouth and have the most complex structure. They have between two and three roots each. They can grind food. They appear around the age of 6 for the first four, then around the age of 12 for the next four, and finally as adults for the wisdom teeth. So we have 12 molars.
A baby teething before 6 years consists of 8 incisors, 4 canines and 4 premolars and 4 molars, or 20 teeth.
Between 6 and 12 years, 8 molars are added, then in adulthood 4 wisdom teeth complete the complete picture: 32 teeth.
Our advice
Tell your child in a fun way the name and function of his teeth encourages him to take care to preserve a good hygiene.
