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Other than visiting the dentist for your routine appointment, like most people you probably take your teeth for granted most of the time. Of course, if you’ve ever had treatment such as root canal treatment, dental implants, fillings or teeth whitening, you’ll be much more familiar with the inner workings of your mouth. But how much do you really know about your teeth? Here are 5 questions to test your knowledge.

1.  How many milk teeth does a child have?

If you’ve ever had to comfort a baby when it’s teething, you’ll be well aware of the presence of even a single little milk tooth. But how many of them do children actually have? The answer is twenty (now calculate how much Bonjela that equates to!). Although they begin to form before birth, most milk teeth don’t come through until about 6 – 12 months old. It can then take up to about three years of age for a full set to be fully established.

Whilst the milk teeth (properly known as deciduous teeth) then begin to fall out between about five to six years old, they play an essential role in the development of the jaw cavity, creating the space for the permanent teeth to grow into. Milk teeth also play an essential part in the development of the smile and speech.

2. How many teeth does an adult have?

If a child has twenty teeth, then surely it follows that an adult also has twenty, right? Wrong! An adult has a total of 32 teeth – 12 more than a baby! Most of these teeth will have formed by the age of about 12 -14, but the wisdom teeth – the last four to emerge – typically appear between 17 – 21 years.

3. What are the wisdom teeth and why are they often removed?

Wisdom teeth are the last set of molars to erupt. It is widely believed that the name wisdom teeth derives from the wisdom we should possess by the time they appear. Anthropologists believe that wisdom teeth were the evolutionary answer to our ancestor’s early diet of coarse, rough food – like leaves, roots, nuts and meats – which required more chewing power and resulted in excessive wear of the teeth. The modern diet with its softer foods, along with the introduction of technologies such as forks, spoons and knives, has made the need for wisdom teeth nonexistent. As a result, evolutionary biologists now classify wisdom teeth as vestigial organs, or body parts that have become functionless due to evolution.

As part of this evolution, the human jaw has also become smaller and this has led to the problem of impacted or blocked wisdom teeth that only partially emerge. This can lead to tooth pain, infections and abscesses. In such cases, it may be in the patient’s best interest to have them removed.

4. What are the different types of permanent teeth called?

There are four type of permanent teeth:

Incisors. The four front teeth on the top and bottom jaw that are used for cutting and chopping food.

Canine teeth. These are sharp, pointy teeth which help to tear food. There is one on each side of your incisors on your top and bottom jaw, making a total of four.

Premolars. Premolars (also called bicuspid teeth) are located next to the canine teeth and are bigger and wider than the incisors and canine teeth. There are four on your top jaw and four on the bottom, giving eight in total. They are used for crushing and grinding food.

Molars. The molars are your strongest teeth and together with your tongue help you swallow food, mashing it up until it’s ready to be swallowed safely. There are eight molars: four on top and four on the bottom.

5. What are teeth actually made of?

There are actually two parts to the tooth. The external covering of the visible part of the tooth, known as the crown, and the inner parts which actually make up most of the tooth.

The external surface of the tooth is made from enamel, a hard, shiny substance which protects the sensitive inner part of the tooth. Enamel is actually the hardest substance in the body.

Beneath the enamel is a sensitive substance known as dentine. This is softer than the enamel and serves to protect the inner part of the tooth which we call the pulp. The pulp is where each tooth’s blood supply and nerve endings are found, which play an essential part in keeping the tooth alive and healthy.

Finally there is a substance known as cementum which covers the root of the tooth, and the periodontal fibres which connect the tooth to the jaw.

At Sharoe Green Dental Practice in Preston, Lancashire, we offer a full family dental service to cover all of your needs. As well as being ideally located with excellent transport connections and free parking, we also offer Saturday opening hours for maximum convenience. To book an appointment or enquire about becoming a member, call us now on 01772 804030 or use our handy online contact form and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.