Four Types of Teeth

When you visit us, we check every tooth in your mouth to make sure it’s healthy, and there’s real variety among them. Your teeth are the hardest substance in your body, and beyond being the first step in digestion, they play an important role in how you speak. You have four different types, each designed for a particular job in eating and chewing.

Here’s a quick tour of the team.

Incisors

Most adults have eight incisors, four on top and four on the bottom. These are the front-most teeth, used for cutting and biting into food, and they’re also the first teeth to appear in young children. They do the initial work before handing food back to the teeth behind them.

Canines

Sitting on either side of the incisors are the canines, slightly pointed teeth that take their name from their resemblance to a dog’s fangs. Sometimes called cuspids or "eye teeth", because they sit directly below the eye sockets, they help grip and tear food.

Premolars

Between the canines and the molars sit the premolars, which have two pointed cusps on their biting surface, hence their other name, bicuspids. They act as transitional teeth, guiding food from the canines back toward the molars for chewing.

Molars

At the back of the mouth are the molars, the largest teeth, used for grinding food. A typical adult has twelve, three on each side of the upper and lower jaw. Built to withstand the considerable force of chewing and grinding, they do much of the heavy lifting at mealtimes.

A note on tooth numbering

To communicate clearly, dental professionals assign each tooth a number rather than a wordy description like "upper left canine". Australia uses the two-digit FDI Dental Numbering System, while other countries use their own conventions. It’s a small thing that helps keep your records precise.

Curious about your own teeth? We check each one at every visit. Get in touch with TMJ Therapy Centre to book a check-up.