Saturday, August 19, 2017

Types of Teeth

Our teeth serve lots of functions and have different health needs, so we at Fresh Meadows Dental Care wanted to provide our patients with a basic run-down of how teeth differ from each other. Adults naturally have thirty-two teeth, sixteen to each jaw.


The incisors are the four front teeth. They are the teeth we do most of our speaking with and which we use to tear off small bits of food, but they cannot withstand the strong forces needed for chewing. The canines, also called cuspids, are the pointy teeth on each side of the incisors. They are for piercing and occupy the point of maximum change of curvature in the jaw arch, which makes them important for stabilizing the jaw bone. The upper canines often get stuck erupting and need orthodontic correction.


Each jaw has two pairs of premolars and three pairs of molars for chewing with. The backmost molars, called wisdom teeth, also often have trouble erupting. Lower molars generally have two tooth roots, while upper ones have three. Upper molars are particularly vulnerable to the harm of acid reflux. Chewing teeth are often treated with sealants to protect them from decay.


Farid Hakimzadeh, DDS, operates Fresh Meadows Dental Care at 58-47 Francis Lewis Blvd., Suite 100, Oakland Gardens, New York, 11364. To schedule an appointment, call 718-224-7272 or visit FreshMeadowsDental.com and fill out a contact form.


 

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