Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsTypes of TeethTooth NumbersIncisorsCaninesPremolarsMolarsFrequently Asked Questions
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Types of Teeth
Tooth Numbers
Incisors
Canines
Premolars
Molars
Frequently Asked Questions
Your teeth also help you breathe and talk, as well as serve as the foundation for shaping the lower portion of your face. They even help exchange minerals throughout your body.
Your teeth and oral hygiene also serve as a window into your body and provide a glimpse into your overall health. Learning the proper names for human teeth can make you more aware of the importance of your teeth and how they function.
Types of Human Teeth
There are four main categories of human teeth. They are:
Verywell / Danie Drankwalter
How Many Teeth Do You Have?
If Teeth Are Not Bones or Organs, What Exactly Are They?
Tooth Numbers and Diagram
The diagram is drawn as if you’re looking at your dentist with your mouth wide open.
The top teeth are numbered from right to left. Number one is your top right back tooth, and your top left tooth in the back is number 16.
The numbering continues with your bottom teeth, moving from left to right and starting with the tooth directly under the last tooth of the top row you counted. Your left tooth in the back is number 17, and your back right tooth is number 32.
Tooth numbers one, 16, 17, and 32 are all third molars (wisdom teeth). They may not be visible in your mouth if there isn’t enough space for them to erupt.
9 Common Dental Problems and How to Prevent Them
Incisors get their name from their function for cutting food and bringing it into the mouth for chewing. Typically, there are four top incisors and four incisors on the bottom, all in the center of your mouth.
They’re primarily thin with a flat bottom. Incisors also are called the front teeth because they are easily seen when you talk and smile.
Learn About the Best Teeth Whitening Home Remedies
Also called cuspids, canine teeth are sharp, pointed teeth used to tear and rip apart food. There are four canines in total, with one on each side of the incisors on the top and the bottom.
Canines are firmly rooted and usually have the longest root of all the teeth.
Primary vs. Permanent Teeth
The 8 Best Teeth Whitening Products of 2021
You have a total of eight premolars—four each on the top and bottom.
Premolars help your incisors and canines with grinding and mixing food as you chew. They’re the first molars to come in, which typically happens between 10 and 12 years of age.
Should You Use a Charcoal Toothbrush for Better Breath?
You have 12 molars located in the back of the mouth—six on the top and bottom.
First and Second
The first molar is next to the premolars on each side of your mouth, top and bottom. A second molar sits next to the first molar.
Third
Next to the second molar is a third molar, also known as awisdom tooth. Usually, there are four in total, one on each side of the mouth, on the top and bottom.
Sometimeswisdom teeth are removed. This is done for a variety of reasons, such as they don’t fully erupt (or come in through the gum), there isn’t enough room for them in the jaw, or other teeth are interfering with the eruption of wisdom teeth.
For instance, if you have a small mouth that won’t accommodate all of your teeth, the first and second molars could crowd out the wisdom teeth, so that they don’t come through properly and instead come in at an odd angle.
Oral Hygiene
Here’s What You Need to Know About Oral Hygiene
Summary
There are four primary categories of human teeth: incisors, canines, premolars, and molars. All four categories have a specific function to aid in chewing food. As a child, you have 20 primary teeth. That number increases to 32 when your permanent teeth come in.
Tooth names and numbers are important to your dentist, who uses them to document oral health changes for your teeth in your dental chart.
Here’s What You Can Do About Missing Teeth
A Word From Verywell
Knowing the names and numbers of your teeth can help you understand which teeth your dentist is talking about during a dental exam. This will make you more aware of which teeth may have problems that need to be addressed to maintain good dental health.
Frequently Asked QuestionsTypically, babies will have a total of 20 primary teeth.Learn MoreTeething Should Not Produce a FeverOur primary teeth fall out to make way for our permanent teeth to come in.Wisdom teeth, also called third molars, are the molars in the very back of your mouth, with one on each side, top and bottom.Teeth are made of four different dental tissues:enamel,dentin, cementum, andpulp. Enamel is the hard covering on the crown of the tooth—the area you can see and brush. Dentin is under the enamel and prevents foods from stimulating the nerves and cells inside the tooth, which could lead totooth sensitivity. Cementum is the hard tissue covering the tooth root, and pulp is the soft tissue that contains nerves, blood vessels, and connective tissue.
Typically, babies will have a total of 20 primary teeth.Learn MoreTeething Should Not Produce a Fever
Typically, babies will have a total of 20 primary teeth.
Learn MoreTeething Should Not Produce a Fever
Our primary teeth fall out to make way for our permanent teeth to come in.
Wisdom teeth, also called third molars, are the molars in the very back of your mouth, with one on each side, top and bottom.
Teeth are made of four different dental tissues:enamel,dentin, cementum, andpulp. Enamel is the hard covering on the crown of the tooth—the area you can see and brush. Dentin is under the enamel and prevents foods from stimulating the nerves and cells inside the tooth, which could lead totooth sensitivity. Cementum is the hard tissue covering the tooth root, and pulp is the soft tissue that contains nerves, blood vessels, and connective tissue.
5 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Zimmerman B, Jenzer AC.Physiology, tooth. In:StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing; 2021.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.National health and nutrition examination survey.Mouth Healthy.Eruption charts.Wisdom Teeth: Learn More – Should You Have Your Wisdom Teeth Removed?Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG); 2023.Mouth Healthy.Tooth.
5 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Zimmerman B, Jenzer AC.Physiology, tooth. In:StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing; 2021.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.National health and nutrition examination survey.Mouth Healthy.Eruption charts.Wisdom Teeth: Learn More – Should You Have Your Wisdom Teeth Removed?Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG); 2023.Mouth Healthy.Tooth.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Zimmerman B, Jenzer AC.Physiology, tooth. In:StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing; 2021.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.National health and nutrition examination survey.Mouth Healthy.Eruption charts.Wisdom Teeth: Learn More – Should You Have Your Wisdom Teeth Removed?Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG); 2023.Mouth Healthy.Tooth.
Zimmerman B, Jenzer AC.Physiology, tooth. In:StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing; 2021.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.National health and nutrition examination survey.
Mouth Healthy.Eruption charts.
Wisdom Teeth: Learn More – Should You Have Your Wisdom Teeth Removed?Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG); 2023.
Mouth Healthy.Tooth.
Meet Our Medical Expert Board
Share Feedback
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
What is your feedback?
