adult teeth
Adult teeth (permanent teeth) begin to replace the front milk teeth from the age of about six. For the next six to eight years there is a gradual replacement of milk teeth by adult teeth. This stage is called mixed dentition, as both milk and adult teeth will be in the mouth at the same time. By the age of about 12-14 all adult teeth should have appeared with the exception of wisdom teeth (third molars). At this stage the mouth will contain twenty-eight teeth. These teeth have to last for life as we only get one set.
Your teeth
Incisors - Thin and sharp, used to cut and slice food.
Canines - Sharp and pointed, used to hold and tear food.
Premolars - Sharp, flat surfaces, to hold and crush food.
Molars - Broad and flat, used to chew and grind food.
Anatomy of a tooth
Tooth crown - The visible part of the tooth in the mouth.
Enamel - Enamel is the tough outer coating of the tooth and is the hardest substance in the body.
Dentine - Dentine is the softer structure that comprises the majority of the tooth substance. It is full of tiny tubes that can transmit such signals as hot, cold and painful stimuli to the pulp of the tooth where the nerves and blood vessels are found.
Gums - Firm flesh around the roots of the teeth.
Root - The tooth is like an iceberg – although all we see in the mouth is the crown, beneath the surface, embedded in the bone of the jaw, is the complex structure of the root.
Soft pulp - A soft tissue made up of blood vessels and nerves, which feeds the hard dental tissues. It is often called the dental nerve. The nerves and blood vessels in the pulp are connected to the nervous and circulatory systems of the body.
Cement - The bone-like substance covering the root.
Periodontium - Tissue which keeps the tooth in place.
Jaw bone - The bone which forms the framework of the mouth and which holds the teeth.
