Have you ever wondered why you have so many different types of teeth? We know they help us chew, but in fact, they serve a variety of lesser-known purposes as well. That being said, we wanted to spend some time highlighting the different types of teeth and they do!
At Spring Valley Dental Care, we not only strive to provide quality service and care to each of our patients, but we also believe that education plays a vital role in your oral health. That’s why in addition to our many dental services, we work to provide the educational material necessary to better understand the fundamentals about your teeth, mouth, and gums. If you’re interested in one of our dental services, call our Spring Valley, CA office today! Otherwise, keep reading to learn more about the different types of teeth.
Different Types of Teeth
- Incisors: Incisors are the thin, flat teeth at the front of your mouth. With 4 on the top and 4 on the bottom, these teeth help in the chewing process, and they also help to support the lips. But perhaps what sets the incisors apart is that we use them to form our speech.
- Canines: Canines are the pointed teeth at the ends of the incisors. They help support the lips, and they’re useful for tearing and shredding tough food. These teeth also help guide the other teeth into place when you close your mouth.
- Premolars: The premolars rest behind the 4 canines. These teeth are also slightly pointed, but they begin to flatten out like molars. They help shred food like canines, and they help maintain the height of the face when your mouth is closed.
- Molars: The molars are the 12 flat teeth at the back of your mouth. These teeth help maintain the height of the face, and they’re paramount in the chewing process. Wisdom teeth are extra molars that tend to emerge in early adulthood.
- Supernumerary Teeth: These include any teeth that form outside of the normal 32 teeth. Supernumerary teeth appear the most as incisors, but many people are born with extra molars as well.
- Natal Teeth: These are the teeth that sometimes appear at birth. Natal teeth are rare–forming in one out of 3,000 babies–and they don’t serve much purpose because these teeth don’t have roots.
Join Us at Spring Valley Dental Care!
If you’re in need of dental care in Spring Valley, then look no further than Spring Valley Dental Care! Call us today at 619-670-4471 to schedule a consultation today. You can also contact us here.