By the time a child is two years old, they will have twenty primary teeth. When they reach adulthood, they will normally have thirty-two teeth. The following are the four main teeth types and how they function.

Incisors

At the front of the mouth are eight teeth known as incisors. There are four of them at the bottom and four at the top of the mouth. The purpose of these teeth is to take the initial bites of food. They are also the first set of teeth that a child will usually get. These teeth make up most of a person’s smile.
Incisors start to grow when a child is approximately six months. The second set of incisors are permanent teeth and usually come in when the child is between six and eight years old. Dentist oral care for these teeth should begin as soon as they start to grow.

Canines

These teeth come in four types. Two are on top, on each side of the four incisors while the other two are in the same place at the bottom. They are pointed and sharp for the purpose of shredding and ripping food apart. Dental care should be given to these teeth because without them, biting would be impossible.
The first canines will appear when a child is between one and two years of age. The upper pair of canines usually appears first. Permanent canines will begin appearing at around age nine. All the four canines should be in place by the time a child is twelve. The position of these teeth helps in guiding the mouth and the other teeth into the best biting position.

Molars

Molars grow behind all the other teeth in the mouth. Their function is to chew and grind food and that is why they are wide and flat. There are six of these teeth in the lower part of the mouth and six in the upper part as well.
Molars grow in as permanent teeth and are not replaced with new ones. Dental checkups should then be done regularly on these teeth to prevent the need for them to be extracted. Sometimes third molars grow as well and are commonly known as wisdom teeth.

Premolars

Bicuspids is another term used to refer to premolars. These are teeth used for chewing and grinding food because they are stronger and larger than either incisors or canines. There are four premolars on each side of an individual’s mouth.
Premolars usually start to grow when a child is between the ages of ten and twelve. These teeth are also instrumental in maintaining the general height of an individual’s face and as such good dental care should be taken to ensure that the face of an individual’s face remains intact.

While most of us may not put much emphasis on our teeth, their significance in our lives cannot be underrated. From helping us to chew to helping us to speak and smile, teeth perform such a dynamic role.
The benefits of dental hygiene are many and that is why dentist oral care is recommended if you want to maintain the general health of your teeth.