Author- Dr Aparna Pandya( Mrs India Vivacious 2019)

Teeth plays a very crucial role in the ability to eat, speak, and stay healthy which is more often than never underrated by the community.

The Development of Teeth

Human beings possess two sets of teeth: primary (or baby or milk) teeth and permanent (adult) teeth, which develop in stages.

The 20 primary teeth are in place between ages 2 ½ and 3 and remain until around age 6. Adult teeth start to grow in between ages 6 and 12. Most adults have 32 permanent teeth.

The Parts of the Tooth

Enamel- covers the tooth crown and is the most hard part of the human body. It is made of HAP crystals, calcium.

Dentin- looks similar to bone and is beneath the enamel. It is however at a greater risk of getting affected by tooth decay as it is softer.

Cementum- helps anchor tooth into the bone. It's softer than enamel and dentin; the best way to protect this softer tissue from decay is by taking good care of your gums.

Pulp- constitutes the centre and core of your tooth and is responsible for blood, nerve and lymphatic supply and drainage respectively.

Types of Teeth and What They Do

Teeth facilitates humans to chew the food, making it easier to digest. Each type of tooth has a slightly different shape and performs a different job. Types of teeth include:

Incisors- There are 4 upper and 4 lower incisors in the mouth. These facilitate to  bite the food. They are generally the first teeth to erupt — at around 6 months and between ages 6 and 8 years for permanent dentition.

Canines- There are 2 upper and 2 lower canines. They are very sharp and help in tearing food apart. Primary canines erupt at 16 and 20 months, with the upper canines coming in just ahead of the lower canines. In permanent teeth, the order is reversed, with lower canines erupting around age 9 and the uppers arriving between ages 11 and 12.

Premolars- also known as bicuspids, are used for chewing and grinding food. Adults have 2 upper and 2 lower premolars. There are no primary premolars; the first premolars appear around age 10, with the second premolars arriving about a year later.

Molars- facilitate chewing and grinding food. Primary molars, also known as deciduous molars, erupt between 12 and 28 months, which are inturn replaced by the first and second premolars

The permanent molars (also four upper and four lower) do not replace any primary teeth, but come in behind all of them, further back in the jaw. The first permanent molars erupt at around age 6 (before the primary molars fall out), while the second molars come in between ages 11 and 13.

Third molar- commonly termed as wisdom teeth. They are the final teeth to come. They appear at around age 18 to 20. They are absent in some. They sometimes are responsible for teeth crowding and has to be removed. They may sometimes be impacted in the bone.