How many teeth should an adult have? How many teeth does a person have and what are the nuances? Teeth in children and adults

Everyone knows that an adult should have 32 teeth, but if you go to the mirror and count the teeth on each jaw, you will most likely find a much smaller number. How so? After all, we know from childhood that there are just so many of them, as they say in various commercials, and from all sides they repeat that there are 32 teeth. Such a seemingly simple thing is the number of teeth in an adult, but how difficult it is to immediately give an exact answer .

An adult should really have 32 teeth. This is the maximum number of teeth that can grow in the sockets, but this is not always the case. The process of replacing milk teeth with molars is completed around the age of 14, and there are 28 of them in total. There are also so-called wisdom teeth, or third molars in medical terminology. There are 4 of them, a pair on each jaw, and they grow only by the age of 30, and for many they may not grow at all. In both cases, this is the norm from the point of view of dental development.

Adult teeth, correct bite.

Why is this happening?

Attention! The fact is that permanent teeth erupt only after the baby teeth fall out, and until then they “sit” in hard tissues jaws, which can be seen on x-rays.

When a full row of 14 teeth has been formed upper jaw and the same number on the lower, third molars still remain in their infancy and are just waiting for their time, when the gums begin to ache from their cutting. They are just getting ready to take their place. All this happens because due to many years evolution, humanity has lost the need to chew hard food, which means that the need for a large number of teeth, of which our ancestors initially had as many as 44, has disappeared. Moreover, even the size itself has decreased lower jaw, and there is not enough space for the last teeth. This is why wisdom teeth gradually turn into rudiments and often remain in their infancy.

How is a wisdom tooth formed?

Wisdom teeth occupy the figure eight position. This means that they are the eighth from the center of the jaw. The number of wisdom teeth is 4, but it also happens that only one pair erupts.
The crown itself is formed by the age of 14-15, just when the entire main row is formed and the deciduous rows are replaced by the molar rows. From this moment they are ready to erupt, but this happens much later.

Important! The growth of “eights” is most often quite painful. The gums hurt and swell, and the body temperature rises. This entire process takes weeks and sometimes years. It also happens that they erupt extremely slowly, in small increments. The gums begin to hurt, and after a while they subside, and after a couple of months or years it happens again.

The situation when wisdom teeth erupt painlessly and correctly is quite rare. As a rule, after eruption they have to be removed altogether, and the number of teeth again becomes 28. There is often not enough space for new teeth, and they simply grow incorrectly, and can also become inflamed and destroyed, including negatively affecting the neighboring ones.

This figure shows the location of wisdom teeth.

What can you say about the remaining teeth?

Teeth, in the form of rudiments inside the jaw, are formed while still in the womb, and begin to erupt when the child is approximately 6 months old. Each tooth, especially the very first, is a touching event for parents, but this is accompanied by unpleasant symptoms, pain, which makes the child capricious. Teeth grow until about two and a half years, and in the end there are 20 of them. Most of them are milk teeth, those that will eventually be replaced by molars, but their health needs to be monitored from the very beginning. After all, baby teeth are susceptible to disease no less than molars, but rather more so, because their enamel is very thin.
Next, children's molars, called deciduous molars, erupt. In total, a person has 4 such teeth on the lower jaw, and the same number on the upper jaw. These are the first and second molars - the teeth that people use to chew food. The third molars erupt when the primary dentition changes to a permanent one.
In addition to molars, there are also incisors, canines and premolars. There are 8 incisors in children and adults - four on each jaw, they are located in front. Next there are 4 fangs, they perform the function of biting off food. There are 8 premolars, they are located immediately next to the canines and are similar in appearance to them. They are often called small molars, and the function they perform is grinding food. They appear already when baby teeth fall out and molars grow.
The change of teeth begins at about 7 years old, and continues until 12, or even 15 - it depends on various factors from heredity to diet, and these numbers can vary. After this is completed, the dentition becomes fully formed and includes 28 teeth - the normal dentition of an adult and healthy person.
Parents often worry about whether their child’s baby teeth are developing properly. There is a special formula for this:
Number of teeth = Number of months the child is 4
This will be the ideal number of teeth that should erupt. However, slight fluctuations in this number are not a reason to panic, because this process can proceed differently for everyone.

Oral hygiene is an integral factor in dental care.

The main thing to understand is proper hygiene oral cavity, a sufficient amount of calcium in the diet, as well as the presence of solid foods. All this will help ensure proper teething and replacement, form a correct bite in the child and protect him from dental problems in adulthood.
It is worth noting that by the time the notorious wisdom teeth erupt, a person may not have 28 teeth, or even fewer - they can be lost due to advanced caries, so it is worth following the recommendations of dentists and brushing 2 times a day - this will help preserve the full set healthy teeth until old age.

Everyone has heard the expression that 32 teeth is the norm, and after that they always wondered why you have fewer? Where are the others and when will they grow up? Let's find out.

How many teeth should a person have? An adult should have 28 teeth by the age of 18-20, while the remaining 2 pairs can grow by the age of 27-30. That's why they were called wisdom teeth, because of their late appearance.

But there are often cases when they may not grow at all. All this is directly related to human evolution - food has become soft and pliable, long chewing is not required, therefore, there is no need for them.

Permanent teeth

An adult has from 28 to 32 permanent teeth. IN early age 20 of them change, the rest do not change, but immediately become permanent.

The cutting order is as follows:

1. From 6 to 7 years of age, the central incisors of the upper jaw and the first molars of both jaws erupt.
2. From 7 to 8 years of age, the central incisors of the lower jaw and lateral incisors of the lower jaw erupt.
3. From 9 to 10 years of age, the canines of the lower jaw erupt.
4. From 10 to 11 years of age, the first premolars of both jaws and the second premolars of the upper jaw erupt.
5. From 11 to 12 years of age, the canines of the upper jaw and second premolars of the lower jaw erupt.
6. From 12 to 13 years of age, the second molars of the upper jaw erupt.
7. From 16 to 30 years of age, the third molars of both jaws erupt.

The speed at which they erupt varies and depends on many factors. It can be affected even if it falls at the wrong time. baby tooth. This entails a problem such as malocclusion.

Wisdom teeth

Wisdom teeth are called third molars – popularly known as “figure eights”. Laying the foundation for them occurs at the age of 4-5 years.

Their appearance is possible starting from 17 years of age and older, although there are frequent cases of them complete absence or partial eruption (in this case they are called semi-retinated).

There are also situations when a person may grow one or two wisdom teeth. This also should not cause concern, everything is within normal limits. Some scientists say that if people continue to eat soft food, in the future a person will completely get rid of this vestige.

By the way, our ancestors had 44 teeth - the food was coarse and required long mechanical processing. Modern dentists often insist on removing figure eights, especially if they are located far away.

They give the following reasons:

1. Wrong position in the row. It can be positioned horizontally or have a strong slope. At the same time, such a tooth is not involved in chewing, nor can it assist in prosthetics. When tilting towards the cheek, a person bites it - this is also a reason for removal.
2. Little space for further eruption or crowding. When the “eight” has just appeared, and there is already little room for it, it is necessary to get rid of it. The reason is simple - it puts pressure on the remaining teeth and contributes to their displacement.
3. Pericoronitis(inflammation of the hood). When part of the crown is covered by an overhanging hood of the oral mucosa, a space favorable for the growth of bacteria is formed under this hood. To get rid of this, you can use the third molar.
4. Severe destruction of the crown. If the crown is destroyed due to mechanical damage or, removal is required.

But there are also indications for their treatment for subsequent preservation:

1. They are necessary for prosthetics. If there is no “seven” or “seven” together with the “six”, they will allow you to install a one-piece fixed prosthesis.
2. It has an antagonist and it has the right position. Removing one of a pair of interlocking teeth can lead to the fact that the second, due to lack of load, moves out of its seat and there is a high risk of losing it.
3. There is pulpitis, periodontitis or"eights". Pulpitis, just like periodontitis, requires filling for successful treatment. Provided they have good patency, the third molar can and should be treated.

Features of the structure of dental canals

The root canal is an anatomical space, which in its structure has a pulp chamber. That, in turn, is connected by channels.

All of them are divided into the following types:

1. Type I – one canal with an apical foramen.
2. II, III type– often observed in premolars. Their peculiarity is the branching into various levels root
3. Type IV - has in its structure a single mouth and two separate root canals ending in two apical foramina.
4. Type V, VI, VII - often found in the lower incisors and are distinguished by the types of both fusion and branching of the canals.
5. Type VIII - three-channel with three apical openings.

The structure of root canals varies not only in type, but also in its shape and quantity.

They can be divided into the following groups:

Frontal (front)

These include:

1. Upper central and lateral incisors, upper canines. Consist of one root and canal. It is extremely rare to observe both a two-channel and a two-root type. The type of structure of the lateral incisors shows a distal bend. The apex of the canines has a buccal curve.
2. Lower incisors and canines. 37% are two-channel, the channels of which are often merged with each other. The gap in the mouth of the root is clearly visible on x-rays, but after branching it is barely visible.

Lateral

These include:

1. Upper first premolars. 20% are single-canal and single-rooted teeth, 79% are double-canal and double-rooted, and 1% have three roots with three canals: one palatal and two buccal.
2. Upper second premolars. In their structure, 56% are single-rooted, 46% are double-rooted and 2% are three-rooted, having a rather complex morphology.
3. Lower first premolars. According to a study conducted in 1955, the majority of mandibular first molars—81%—are single-canal. The rest are two-channel. The 1979 studies are different - 70% single-channel and 30% dual-channel. 0.5% accounted for three-channel. The separation of canals on multi-canal teeth usually occurs in the middle part of the root.
4. Lower second premolars. Most second premolars are single canal. Cases of a two-channel or three-channel structure are extremely rare.
5. Upper first molars. In two out of three cases they have two channels, in the rest - one. The buccal root is medial, wide and flat; it is this structure that causes the two-channel structure. The orifice of the medial buccal canal is located under the medial buccal tubercle.
6. Upper second molars. They are characterized by diversity different types buildings. There are both three roots and three canals, and four canals with the same number of roots. They have a C-shaped canal structure at the confluence of the palatine with the medial-buccal root or distal-buccal. Cases of a two-channel and two-root structure are quite rare; cases of a single-channel structure are even more rare (no more than one percent of all observed cases).
7. Lower first molars. A two-channel structure is often observed in the medal root, and in the distal root in two thirds of cases. Moreover, in 48% they are four-channel. With a three-channel structure, the third is distal-lingual.
8. Lower second molars. Often their root is conical in shape, but variants with a more complex canal structure (crescent structure) are not uncommon. The most commonly observed is a two-root, three-channel structure.

Sometimes people treat their teeth carelessly and indifferently. Hygiene rules are not observed, and the diet also remains forgotten.

However, teeth are the only part human body, the regeneration of which is impossible. That is, a tooth that was once lost or damaged will not grow back.

To protect your oral cavity from problems, it is necessary to understand what teeth are, how many of them a person normally has, how they transform at a certain age, and what is most harmful and beneficial for them.

Types by shape and location

The human oral cavity has not always been what it is today. Millions of years of evolution have transformed the body beyond recognition. The reason lies in changes in living conditions, including diet. Over time, human food became increasingly soft, so the jaw became smaller and the teeth became less developed compared to the distant ancestors of Homo Sapiens.

Currently, the following types of teeth can be distinguished:

• Incisors located in the front central part of the jaw.
• Fangs located on the sides of the incisors.
• Premolars are the two teeth next to the canines.
• Molars located at the very edge of the jaw.

The number of incisors in the body of any person is “fixed” - eight units.

Four are located on the upper jaw, four more on the lower jaw. The thin cutting edge of these teeth is designed for biting food. It is quite fragile and does not withstand shock or strong pressure. That is why most cases of tooth breakage occur in the incisors.

If the incisors cannot cope with some particularly stubborn piece of food, then the fangs come to the rescue. There are four of them. They have a thickened edge and a developed tubercle. The purpose of the fangs is to tear off or chip away dense and strong pieces of food. It is not surprising that these are the strongest teeth a person has.

The next type of teeth in the human mouth are premolars. They are adapted for both biting food and chewing it. They are very similar to fangs in their structure, but have a large working surface equipped with two tubercles. Despite single roots, premolars sit firmly in the jaw and are difficult to lose.

Location of human teeth in the oral cavity

The outermost teeth are molars. As the name suggests, their job is to grind up pieces of food before swallowing. They are distinguished by deep roots and a large working surface, equipped with three and sometimes five tubercles. Another feature of molars is that the further they are located from the center of the jaw, the less developed they are. root system. Number of them different people may vary.

The outermost molars are known as wisdom teeth. In some people they do not appear at all, in others only two or three units grow. Thus, the number of wisdom teeth (eights) may vary from person to person.

You should not try to crack food that is too hard, such as nuts, using incisors. This weakens the enamel and leads to destruction of the cutting edge.

How many teeth does an adult have?

How many molars should a person have? The number of teeth in a person may vary depending on the characteristics of the physiological structure.

The usual number 32 is very arbitrary and represents the maximum possible number of teeth.

There are, however, cases where the number of odontopagus (the scientific name for the tooth) exceeded this maximum. For one resident of the city of Paris in the 17th century, this number reached 34 due to two “extra” molars. But such cases are incredibly rare and represent an anomaly.

Thus, in the human body:

• The number of incisors is always fixed: 4 on the upper jaw and the same number on the lower jaw.
• Like incisors, there cannot be more canines than the natural maximum: two on each jaw.
• There should be four units of premolars below and above.

Total – 20 teeth excluding molars. Everything is more complicated with them. As mentioned above, the number of molars depends on physiological characteristics a specific person, in particular on the size of the jaws. A jaw that is too small cannot accommodate more than four molars, which means that their total number cannot exceed eight.

If the jaw size is normal, then at the age of 18-25 years, it is likely that two to four more molars will grow. Thus, the number of these teeth will increase by at least two. The process of formation and growth of wisdom teeth, that is, the outermost molars, is sometimes painful and causes serious inconvenience. This is caused by the fact that the cutting tooth “pushes” the neighboring, already formed one.

Healthy white teeth

If pain occurs during the growth of a wisdom tooth, you should consult a dentist; this pain rarely goes away on its own and becomes increasingly stronger. In addition, it is possible for an infection to get into the opened area of ​​​​the gum at the site of a growing tooth, and from here a general infection of the oral cavity can begin.

If wisdom teeth have not grown in before the age of 25, then there is no need to worry, this is a normal phenomenon that is completely harmless to the body.

Since wisdom teeth take a long time to erupt, and for some, they don’t erupt at all, not everyone knows what’s normal. You will learn more about this in the article.

Read about the order of teething in babies.

You will find out in what order the molars erupt.

How many times does a person's teeth change?

Children do not immediately receive molars. Approximately six months after birth, the baby begins to cut his first milk teeth.

Usually this process lasts up to 2.5 years, but there are discrepancies in the timing. It all depends on the anatomical individuality of the child.

Milk teeth are practically no different in structure from molars. The difference lies in the size of the roots and strength.

They do not need a strong and deep root, because after some time the baby teeth will become loose and fall out under the influence of the growing molars. The root can interfere with this process and cause pain.

The normal number of baby teeth is 20. Babies do not have premolars, which is very logical. At such a tender age, there is no need to chew hard food. In addition, the size of a child’s jaw does not allow for a full set of teeth like an adult’s.

From the age of five, baby teeth begin to fall out and are replaced by molars. This process is practically painless and does not cause any inconvenience to the child. Some problems are only possible if the growth of molars begins too early.

This phenomenon is known as “shark mouth” - molars grow behind the remaining baby teeth. In the future, this is fraught with malocclusion. There is nothing to worry about; any pediatric dentist will remove stuck baby teeth and help straighten the position of the molars.

Different types of teeth fall out at different times.

• The central incisors fall out at the age of five or six years.
• At seven or eight years of age, the lateral incisors fall out.
• Between 9 and 12 years, a child loses his fangs.
• The first molars fall out at 10-11 years of age.
• The child loses his second molars at the age of 11-13 years.

The conclusion is that teeth change only once in a lifetime, but this process can be divided into five stages. The deadlines indicated above are quite arbitrary. Some children begin to lose their milky odontopapus as early as the age of four, while others retain them unchanged until their seventh birthday.

The order of changing teeth

There is no reason to worry about delayed tooth loss, but if at the age of eight none of the milk teeth have even begun to loosen, then you should contact a pediatric dentist. In such a situation, the most correct solution is to remove all baby teeth. The procedure, of course, is unpleasant, but it allows you to preserve a beautiful smile and straight odontopagus molars.

Malocclusion, which can form as a result of a violation of the biological schedule for the loss of baby teeth, can be corrected with the help of braces. There is no need to believe rumors about their harm; modern materials do not cause damage to the enamel, maintaining strong teeth for life.

Special attention must be paid to oral hygiene for the child. What adults do to maintain healthy teeth is not suitable for children - their odontopaguses are too sensitive. For example, children should not use toothpaste for adults; it is better to use special teeth cleaning products. They are less aggressive and do not damage the enamel.

The period of loss of baby teeth is dangerous primarily because food debris can get stuck in the opened holes on the gums.

This is fraught with the spread of infection, which can damage not only the adjacent baby teeth, but also the molar odontopagus hiding in the jaw.

To avoid problems, the child should rinse his mouth immediately after eating, washing away any remaining food. A good remedy For this purpose, use a special infusion of chamomile, which has an antibacterial effect.

To maintain dental health, it is very important to adhere to a proper diet. You should eat foods rich in calcium and magnesium every day: hazelnuts, milk, cheese, greens.

Video on the topic

Special formations of bone tissue, located in rows in the mouth one above the other, are teeth, and the quality of chewing food and the condition of the body as a whole directly depend on their number.

It is important to have not only healthy, but also beautiful and sufficient teeth, so every person should take proper care of them in order to preserve their natural teeth for as long as possible.

How many teeth does an adult have, including wisdom teeth?

The teeth have different shapes and each of them has its own purpose. It is not for nothing that doctors say that 32 is the norm, but not everyone can boast of such a number; many people have only 28, since the so-called wisdom teeth have not erupted. People need teeth not only for biting, chewing and holding food in the mouth, but also for correctly pronouncing sounds, so each is important.

There are 5 types of teeth:

• incisors- they are sharp and therefore participate in biting food, the number of incisors is 8;
• fangs- are located on the side of the incisors and help tear food apart, although they are much less developed compared to animals, the number of fangs is 4;
• molars (small)- they are also called premolars, on the surface of which there are two convexities, which makes it possible to grind pieces of food. Also, these teeth can tear food and they have 1, usually 2 roots;
• molars (large)- have a second name: molars, and depending on their location, they have 2 roots (upper) and 3 roots (lower), in addition to 4-5 tubercles, there are depressions on the surface called fissures. A person has only 20 large and small molars.

Ideally, there should be 32 teeth, including wisdom teeth, of which 4 are “eights.” However, due to the constant consumption of too soft food, the need for them is gradually decreasing, and now there are many people who are missing these molars.

It should be taken into account that, unlike other types of teeth, which complete the formation of their rudiments by the age of 3, the rudiments of eights appear much later - by the age of 12.

Sometimes wisdom teeth are impacted, that is, they have erupted incorrectly: they can be partially hidden bone tissue or gums, which causes a lot of inconvenience to a person and can lead to an inflammatory process.

How teeth change and the number of baby teeth

Photo: Teeth change begins at age 6

The very first teeth are temporary; their rudiments appear in the fetus in the mother’s womb and develop as it grows. The first temporary teeth appear in infants around the age of 4 months, although there are cases where children were born with 1-2 teeth.

However, teething is an individual process and depends on many parameters and the condition of the baby’s body.

There is a theory, which has several confirmations, that the onset of teething in a baby is directly related to a similar process in its parents: if this process started late for mom or dad, then it may be late for the child as well.

It is rare, but it still happens that children have missing teeth up to 1.5 years of age. Usually, by the age of 3, a baby has a set of 20 teeth, which serve him until he is 6 years old, until his replacement with permanent teeth begins.

Proper eruption and development permanent teeth depends on the condition of the “milk”.

The order of teething in humans is certain, and it does not change:

• first incisors (on both jaws);
• second incisors;
• first molars;
• fangs;
• second molars.

When it comes to the question of how many times a person’s teeth change, dentists answer unequivocally – once in a lifetime. A set of “baby” teeth gradually begins to be replaced by permanent ones at about 5.5-6 years, although this is also individual for each person. All permanent teeth appear between the ages of 12 and 14 years.

Replacement occurs like this: in the free space behind the temporary tooth, a permanent one begins to erupt, and if its predecessor was in an incorrect position, then this tooth will grow incorrectly, so it is important that children do not have unevenly spaced “baby” teeth.

The very last teeth to appear are the “wisdom” teeth – this occurs at approximately 17-25 years of age.

Video: how a child’s teeth change

Tooth structure

No matter how many teeth a person has, they all have the same structure, although different sizes. Each of them has three sections, and depending on which part of the tooth is damaged, the dentist chooses treatment tactics. A human tooth consists of:

• root;
• necks;
• crowns

The root holds the tooth in the gum - fibers of soft tissue are attached to it and to the jaw bone. The root is covered with a very hard substance - cement, inside there is a cavity called a canal - nerve endings pass through it. Although the root is quite densely fixed by fibers, it still remains minimally mobile, which protects it from breakage during chewing.

The number of roots varies and depends on the type of tooth and where it is located - at the top or bottom. The place where the tooth begins to separate is called a furcation.

There can be from 1 to 3 roots, sometimes there are 4 or 5:

• mandibular canines, incisors, premolars have 1 root;
• mandibular molars and maxillary premolars have 2 roots;
• maxillary molars have 3 roots.

The neck of the tooth is immersed in the gum, and the crown rises above it. The crown is covered with enamel, which, although considered the hardest substance in the human body, can still be destroyed under the influence of certain factors.

Enamel covers dentin, which makes up the tooth; its structure is made up of many microscopic tubules. In the very center of the tooth is the pulp, where the nerve endings are concentrated.

Anomalies in the number of teeth

A person does not always have the required number of teeth; from birth they may be more or less than normal. Such deviations are called hypodontia(if there are fewer teeth) or hyperdentia(if there are more teeth). Hypodentia is caused by diseases of the mother during gestation, which result in the destruction of tooth buds. Hyperdentia can occur due to atavism or bifurcation of the rudiments.

Diseases that provoke hypodontia, usually infectious: syphilis, tuberculosis and others. They most often contribute to disturbances in the formation of primordia, but can lead to their death. The number of teeth depends on the presence and severity of the anomaly: 1 tooth or a group is missing, whether hypodontia is accompanied by a violation of the shape or structure.

Hyperdentia may arise due to the fact that during the formation of tooth primordia in the human embryo, the dental plate exhibits greater productivity.

Another reason why supernumerary incisors or canines sometimes appear is atavism, because thousands of years ago people had not 4, but 6 incisors, 2 of them disappeared in the process of evolution.

Thus, there is a return to the previous set, which consisted of 44 teeth.

Every tooth is important for a person, so it is necessary to properly care for them and maintain hygiene. Dentists remove teeth only if emergency, preferring to treat them.

Video: how to brush your teeth properly

Special bone formations located in the oral cavity - teeth - are found in humans, animals, and fish. They are located in two arches located above each other, the upper surfaces of the crowns touching each other when a person closes his jaws. The resulting bite is the object of study in the science of orthodontics. If a person good teeth- this is also an indicator of the quality of the body’s functioning as a whole. But usually it is not enough for people to simply have their teeth perform their function well; they also want the smile to be attractive, the teeth themselves to be even, white, and straight. Because the questions are how many teeth does a person have How to properly care for them, how to straighten or insert teeth and others are of interest to everyone.

Main types of teeth

Human teeth have different purposes, according to which they differ in shape and characteristics. In general, teeth should be capable of grasping, chewing, and holding food in the mouth. They also participate in the speech process, influencing the pronunciation of sounds.

Incisors are teeth that are located in front of the dentition. They got their name due to the presence of a cutting edge designed for biting off pieces of food. On the sides of the incisors are fangs - cone-shaped teeth that tear off pieces of food. Human canines are underdeveloped, unlike the fangs of predators. Behind the fangs are premolars - small molars with one or two roots and two tubercles on the upper surface. The function of small molars is to crush food and grind, although these teeth can also tear pieces.

Molars are larger teeth called molars. They have 2 roots - in the lower molars, and 3 - in the upper ones. On the contact upper surface there are chewing tubercles and depressions - fissures. Molars crush and grind pieces of food.

How many teeth does a person have?

First of all, it should be mentioned that throughout a person’s life, two sets of teeth grow, of different numbers. Temporary baby teeth are similar to permanent teeth, but they have a slightly different shade, are weaker, and smaller in size than permanent teeth. The name “milk” itself comes from their whitish-bluish color.

Despite the fact that there are only 20 of them, and that they are present in the mouth for only a few years, milk teeth play an important role in the development of teeth that will remain with a person for life. They begin to erupt at about the age of six months, and by the age of three, children usually complete the formation of the entire row of milk teeth.

The appearance of the first permanent teeth begins at the age of 5-6 years, the process is completed by 13-14 years. The first permanent teeth grow behind the milk ones in a free space, and over time, after the roots dissolve, the temporary teeth themselves fall out, giving way to new ones. The process of loss and replacement of baby teeth occurs in a certain sequence.

If you are asked: “How many teeth does a person have?”, you will probably answer without hesitation - 32. Although in fact the answer is not so clear-cut. Of the 32 teeth on each jaw there are 4 incisors, 2 canines, 6 molars, 4 premolars. But sometimes there are only 28 teeth in the mouth: when the third group of molars - “wisdom teeth” - do not grow. They usually appear at the age of 16-25 years, but may also grow after 30 years of age or not appear at all. Over time, the number of people with an incomplete set of teeth is increasing; now it has already reached half of the world's population. It is commonly read that this is a sign of the continuation of evolution, as a result of which the third large molars, which are practically useless for chewing, are being reduced.

And if we asked our ancestors how many teeth a person has, we would get the answer - 44. Previously, there were 12 more teeth than now! Each jaw had two more incisors and four premolars. Dentists believe that soon enough in the oral cavity modern man the second incisors can be reduced, and then the second and third molars. We eat mainly soft foods, some types of teeth lose their necessity, and the jaw becomes smaller. To stop this process, all dental system should receive sufficient exercise - in particular, by chewing coarse plant foods.

Tooth structure

The main parts of the teeth are the root, neck, crown. The crown is covered with enamel. This is the part of the tooth that is visible. Enamel is a hard substance that can resist decay. The neck of the tooth is located in the gum, the root penetrates the jaw bone. Dentin is the main substance that forms the entire mass of the tooth. It has high strength, but is inferior to enamel. In dentin there are many tubules with processes of cells that make up dentin. In the tooth cavity there are also blood vessels, supplying nutrients and nerve endings to the living tissues of the tooth.

The covering of the tooth root is made of bone-like cement. Numerous fibers are attached between the bone and cementum, which help keep the tooth in place while maintaining some mobility. The latter somewhat reduces the likelihood of tooth breakage during chewing. The cavity inside the tooth passes into the root in the form of a canal, at the top of which there is a hole. The dental cavity is filled with pulp, which contains nerves and blood vessels that pass through the hole in the root. How many teeth a person has, methods of treatment and prevention, diseases, anatomy, structure of teeth - all these questions are studied by the science of dentistry.

Tooth growth abnormalities

If you, wanting to check how many teeth a person has, count an incomplete set in your mouth - 30 or 28 teeth, this is quite normal. But there are also real anomalies in the growth of teeth. They concern changes in color, size, quantity (not taking into account the absence of “wisdom teeth”). The permanent dentition may contain impacted - so-called supernumerary - teeth. Impacted teeth do not emerge from the thickness of the bone, and the place intended for them by nature in the mouth is covered only by mucous membrane. This can occur due to premature removal of temporary teeth, lack of space, due to previous inflammatory diseases. Often the cause is the incorrect initial location of the tooth germ.

Supernumerary teeth try to erupt, even if there is no room for them. They put pressure on neighboring teeth and nerves, and if they partially erupt, they cause infection or inflammation. Diagnosis of impacted teeth is carried out using x-rays and computed tomography. These photographs enable the dentist to determine the future fate of the tooth - whether to remove it or to pull it out using orthodontic methods. “Wisdom teeth” that never erupted are also impacted, but their absence usually does not cause any problems.

Almost any problem with the growth and quality of teeth today can be solved. First of all, you should always maintain oral hygiene and undergo a timely preventive examination at a dental clinic. You also need to take care of your gums to prevent