Teeth are a peculiar part of the human body in that, as with your fingerprints, your teeth are unique to you and come in all shapes and sizes. But just how many teeth do adults have?
Your gnashers, chompers, or whatever you want to call them serve a vitally important function in chewing food. Due to their unique ‘teeth print’, dental records are often used in identifying human remains.
Each tooth is made up of four components: the pulp, dentin, enamel, and cementum. The pulp consists of the pulp chamber and root canal and is made up of blood vessels, connective tissue, and nerves. The dentin is the yellow part of your teeth. This material is as tough as bone and is mostly mineral in structure, similar to that of bone.
Your enamel is what protects the other parts of your tooth and is what gets worn away, so remember to brush your teeth properly to help protect them. Finally, we have the cementum, which covers the outside of a tooth’s root and holds it in place within your jaw.
Keep on reading to find out how many teeth adults have and how many teeth babies have. We’ll also let you in on what your different types of teeth are and what they do.
How many teeth do adults have?
A fully-developed set of adult teeth should contain 32 teeth, with 16 upper teeth and 16 lower teeth at the most. This consists of four incisors in the middle, two canine teeth next to these and 10 molars across both rows. The wisdom teeth are included as molars in this count.
Incisors
Within a full set of adult teeth, you should have four incisors in the centre of both rows of your mouth, eight in total. Incisors are used to cut up your food into smaller pieces as part of the chewing process.
Canines
A full set of adult teeth will contain four canine teeth, two on the top and two on the bottom row. These will typically appear to the left and right of your incisors. You use your canines to cut and tear your food.
Molars
You should have eight premolars and 12 molars across both rows of teeth if your wisdom teeth have come in. Premolars sit beside the canine teeth and then you lead around the back of your rows of teeth with the first, second, and third (wisdom teeth) molars. You use your molars to grind up your food.
How many teeth do babies have?
A fully-developed set of baby teeth (primary teeth) should contain 20 teeth. A full set of baby teeth includes two rows of ten teeth containing four incisors, two canines, and four molars in total.
A child’s mouth can only fit 20 teeth. This is because toddlers’ skulls have not yet reached their full size and are still growing. Baby teeth stop growing and are gradually replaced by 32 adult teeth, starting when the child is about six years old.
Typically, this process is finished by the time we turn 18 years old, coinciding with the emergence of the third molars (commonly known as wisdom teeth). Nevertheless, not everyone possesses wisdom teeth in their jaw, and even if they do, only a portion of these teeth might surface or none at all.
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