Have you ever wondered why we have so many different kinds of teeth? No doubt, they help us chew food, but there’s an array of other purposes they serve that often go unspoken. Teeth are vital to supporting our lips, the height of our face, and helping us form speech! As such, we wanted to spend some time highlighting the different types of teeth, and the many purposes they serve!
Reason To Smile Dental is proud to serve the Salt Lake City area with superior dental care. Whether you’re looking for family dentistry, cosmetic dentistry, or our numerous restorative services, Dr. Vernon and our highly experienced team provide quality service and care to each of our patients. Before calling our Salt Lake City office, learn more about our different types of teeth, and what they can do for us!
The Different Types of Teeth
- Incisors: Incisors are the thin, flat teeth at the front of your mouth. You have 4 on the top and bottom that help to chew and support your lips. The incisors are also vital to the process of forming speech!
- Canines: Canines are the 4 pointed teeth at the ends of the incisors. These teeth help shred and tear through tougher food. They also help to guide the rest of the teeth in place as you close your mouth.
- Premolars: The premolars rest behind the canines. These teeth are also pointed, but they’re also slightly flattened at the top like molars. Premolars are extremely helpful in the chewing process, and they help support the height of the face.
- Molars: The molars are the flattened teeth at the back of your mouth. There are 12 altogether that help chew foot and support the height of the face. The wisdom teeth are also considered molars, but they typically don’t emerge until early adulthood.
- Supernumerary Teeth: These include any teeth that form outside from the typical 32. It’s not too uncommon for people to form an extra incisor, or an extra molar. These teeth are often removed because they either form outside of the alignment or the rest of the teeth, or they don’t have room to fit amongst the rest of the teeth.
- Natal Teeth: Natal teeth are pretty rare–occurring in one out of every 3,000 births. Natal teeth form before birth. As strange an occurrence as natal teeth might be, they typically don’t last very long because they don’t have roots.
Seeking Dental Care in Salt Lake City?
If you’re in need of dental care in Salt Lake City, join us at Reason To Smile! Call us today at (801) 719-5447 to schedule a consultation. You can also contact us here!
