How many teeth do humans have

Teeth are one of the most precious part of the body as once they are shed, they never come back. The teeth are the one which create the smile and makes you look awesome. Let’s learn in detail about the importance of teeth and how many teeth do humans have.

The humans have two sets of teeth in their whole life after which no teeth is regenerated.

What are teeth made up of?

Teeth are made up of the hardest element in the body i.e. Enamel. Enamel is the white colored material which forms the crown of the tooth. It is the hardest material in body.

Tooth comprises of:

• Enamel
• Dentin
• Cementum
• Pulp

Enamel is made up of Hydroxyapatite crystals. Hydroxyapatite crystals are made up of calcium phosphate.

Teeth also comprises dentin,cementum and pulp.

The dentin makes the inner layer of the tooth just below the enamel and the pulp is the innermost layer of the tooth.

Pulp is the soft tissue which helps in nutritional & vascular supply. It is also responsible for the nerve sensations.

Cementum is the outer covering of the root of tooth.

How many teeth do humans have?

Humans have two sets of teeth across the life. All teeth are together known as dentition.

There are two dentitions in humans:

1. Primary dentition – The phase in which mouth comprises of primary teeth or milk teeth. It is seen in kids.
2. Permanent dentition – The phase in which mouth comprises of permanent teeth. It is seen in adults.

Primary dentition is seen in kids while the permanent dentition is seen in grown adults. There is a phase when the mouth has both primary and permanent teeth in it. This time is known as mixed dentition period.

How many teeth do kids have?

The kids have primary teeth which are 20 in number. The complete set of primary teeth comes by 5-6 years of age.

The set of teeth in primary dentition are:

• Four Central Incisors (Two upper, Two lower)
• Four Lateral Incisors (Two upper, Two lower)
• Four Canines (Two upper, Two lower)
• Eight Molars (Four upper, Four lower)

The primary teeth are also known as milk teeth as their refractive index is similar to milk. These teeth start shedding off physiologically by the age of 6 and permanent teeth starts erupting.

How many teeth do adults have?

The eruption of adult teeth also known as permanent teeth start by the age of 6. The first permanent tooth to erupt is the 1st permanent molar. A normal adults has 32 permanent teeth in their oral cavity.

The complete set of teeth erupt by the age of 18-24 years when the last tooth to erupt i.e. Third molar or Wisdom tooth erupts in the oral cavity.

The set of teeth in permanent dentition are:

• Four Central Incisors (Two upper, Two lower)
• Four Lateral Incisors (Two upper, Two lower)
• Four Canines (Two upper, Two lower)
• Eight Premolars ( Four upper, Four lower)
• Twelve Molars (Six upper, Six lower)

This is the last set of teeth in the oral cavity. If a tooth is shed off by any means, It will never regenerate again. That’s why it is important to take the best care of these teeth.

The permanent teeth are not shed off physiologically but by diseases such as fracture, dental caries, trauma, bone resorption etc.

Why I have only 28 teeth?

Sometimes people have 28 teeth in their oral cavity due to no eruption of the third molars.

3rd molars are also known as wisdom teeth since, according to society it is the tooth which erupts when an individual attains wisdom which is usually 18-24 years of age.

In people with small oral cavity, the wisdom teeth are unable to erupt because of no space left for their eruption. This phenomenon is completely normal and doesn’t affect the functionality.

Even most of the dentists count these teeth as vestigial which means that these teeth have no use. They are very prone to decay as the brush doesn’t reach this tooth. The wisdom tooth is also rarely used for chewing.

There are 4 wisdom tooth in the mouth. Thus, If they don’t erupt then the individual has only 28 teeth in the oral cavity.

How to take the best care of teeth?

By now, You would have got some knowledge about the teeth. This also shows us how important teeth are to us. Therefore, We should take utmost care of the teeth. Here are some of the tips to take proper care of your teeth.

1. Brush twice daily.
2. Take regular dental check ups every 6 month.
3. Floss daily.
4. Avoid sticky foods.
5. Don’t take sugary diet at night.

We will discuss about it in detail in other post. I hope you found this post helpful. Feel free to ask any question regarding it with us.