The number of teeth in adults and children is different. There are 20 baby teeth in children. Sshare on adults, there is32 fixed gears. Agar amount tooth does not decrease and its function is maintainedDental care needs to be done early on.
All baby teeth usually fall out and change into permanent teeth at the age of 12-14 years. At this age, a child's teeth that originally numbered 20 will increase to 32 when he grows up at the age of 17-21 years.
After growing 28 teeth, will grow four additional teeth to complete the total number of teeth to 32 pieces. These last teeth to grow are called wisdom teeth.
Location and Role of Adult Teeth
Teeth are the hardest part of the human body. The main function of teeth is to digest food in the mouth, which is to tear, chew, and grind food. In addition, teeth also affect the ability and clarity in speech.
Each tooth has a different location, shape, and role. Here are the types of adult teeth:
- incisorsThe incisors are located in the middle of the row of teeth and consist of 8 pieces, namely 4 in the upper jaw and 4 in the lower jaw. These teeth have a role to bite and cut food.
- Canine toothThere are 4 canine teeth, 2 in the upper jaw and 2 in the lower jaw. It is located next to the incisors and serves to tear food.
- PremolarsThere are 8 premolars. It is located between the canines and the molars. The function of these teeth is to chew and grind food.
- MolarsThere are 8 molars and are located in the back row of teeth or adjacent to the inner cheek. These teeth serve to grind food until it is soft.
- Wisdom teeth or wisdom teethThere are 4 wisdom teeth. The presence of these teeth can sometimes interfere with the position of other teeth, so they must be removed through surgery. Just like premolars, wisdom teeth also play a role in chewing and grinding food.
The Benefits of Taking Care of Your Teeth From an Early Age
In order for the number of adult teeth to remain 32 and their condition intact, it is recommended that you take care of your teeth as early as possible. Taking care of teeth is not only by keeping them clean, but also paying attention to their composition and shape. Normal teeth should be free of cavities, strong, and neatly arranged.
One of the important steps in dental care is to have regular dental check-ups with the dentist, early on. This examination should even have been done since childhood.
When examining the teeth, the dentist will evaluate the shift and alignment of the teeth between the upper and lower jaws. The advantages of examining and treating teeth early are:
- Detecting dental problems, such as cavities, caries, or tartar.
- Reduces the risk of protruding upper incisors.
- Align the width of the dental arch.
- Maintain normal jaw growth.
- Improve speech disorders due to abnormalities in teeth.
- Improve facial and dental esthetics.
- Reduces the chance of permanent teeth growing in the wrong position.
Teeth not only function to bite and chew food, but also affect the appearance of the face. The number of adult teeth can be reduced if not treated properly. If it is already damaged or lost, adult teeth will be difficult to repair and unlikely to grow back. Therefore, take good care of your teeth.