What Does Each Tooth Do?

You probably don’t give your teeth much thought—until it’s time to visit the dentist. But we shouldn’t take our teeth for granted because they play such an important role. Teeth help us speak properly. Teeth help us chew and digest healthy food. Teeth can impact our entire wellbeing.

If you have questions about your teeth, you can always ask family dentist, Dr. Vishal Advani, the next time you visit our Elk Grove Village, IL practice. Meanwhile, read on for the basics on how all our your teeth function together.

Baby Teeth and Adult Teeth

Humans are generally born without teeth, with the first primary (or baby) teeth coming in around the age of one. As we go through childhood, the rest of our baby teeth grow in and are then replaced by permanent (or adult) teeth. Most people start losing their baby teeth around the age of five or six. Most of us have either 28 or 32 teeth, depending on whether or not we have had our wisdom teeth (the four large molars at the very back of the mouth that are the last to come in) removed.

The Parts of a Tooth

There are two parts to a tooth—the part you can’t see, which is the root, and the part you can see, which is the crown. The root is what anchors the teeth to the jawbone.

The Types of Teeth

Together, our teeth help us to chew food and make it easier to digest. But each tooth individually has a slightly different job.

• The incisors help you take bites of your food. There are four on the top and four on the bottom. These are usually the first teeth that come in when we are babies.
• The canines are the sharpest teeth in our mouths, and their purpose is to help rip and tear food. We have two of these on the top and two on the bottom.
• The premolars are the permanent teeth that grow in around the age of 10. These help us chew and grind our food. We have four of these on each side of our mouth.
• The molars are in the back of our mouths. These large teeth also help us chew and grind our food.

Don’t Take Your Teeth for Granted

Take good care of your teeth—and they’ll take good care of you. Brush and floss regularly and be sure to visit your Elk Grove Village, IL family dentist Dr. Advani at least twice a year for examinations and cleanings. Call us today to make an appointment!