Human teeth come in four main types, each shaped for a specific job in biting and chewing. Most adults have 32 permanent teeth in total, arranged symmetrically in the upper and lower jaws.
1. Incisors – The eight flat, chisel-shaped teeth at the front of the mouth (four upper, four lower). They have sharp edges used for cutting and biting into food.
2. Canines (cuspids) – The four pointed teeth located just next to the incisors, one in each quadrant of the mouth. They are the longest teeth and are used for tearing tougher foods, like meat.
3. Premolars (bicuspids) – Located behind the canines, there are eight premolars total (two per quadrant). They have two pointed cusps and are used for crushing and grinding food. Premolars only appear in the permanent (adult) set of teeth, not in baby teeth.
4. Molars – The large, flat-surfaced teeth at the back of the mouth, used for grinding food into smaller pieces before swallowing. Adults typically have twelve molars (three per quadrant), including the third molars, commonly known as wisdom teeth, which usually emerge in the late teens or early twenties (and are sometimes removed if impacted or if there isn't enough room).
Children have a different, smaller set called primary teeth (also called baby teeth, milk teeth, or deciduous teeth), totaling 20. This set includes incisors, canines, and molars, but no premolars — the molars in baby teeth are eventually replaced by premolars in adulthood.
Dentists also describe teeth by position using terms like "central incisor," "lateral incisor," "first premolar," "second molar," and so on, to precisely identify each tooth's location in the mouth.