Facial anatomy is essential for the human being not only to speak, but to gesture and project a specific vision of ourselves to the outside.
According to professional sources, more than 65% of communication in our species is non-verbal, that is, we rely on gestures, tones and contexts to convey what we want to say in the most succinct way possible, regardless of what our words may suggest. .
Facial muscles are essential for communication between two people, but beyond them, teeth also play a vital role. Oral hygiene is indicative of personal self-care, discipline, and to some extent, economic status and sexual suggestion. A smile with aligned teeth creates facial harmony and provides a feeling of stability, neatness, and symmetry, among many other things.
Beyond aesthetics, the teeth are essential to crush food and form the bolus, prevent it from escaping through the mouth, to support the tongue in the formation of sounds and many other things. If you want to know the types of teeth and their functionality in humans, keep reading
The tooth, from a physiological point of view, is defined as a hard, white anatomical organ that grows, along with other structures, in the mouth of humans and other vertebrates. Its main function is to cut and chew food, although in some taxa some teeth are also used as a method of defense and attack (especially felids and canines, hence the size of their canines).
Normally, when we go to classify teeth, we go directly to the structures present in the mouth of adults. In this case, we will make a special mention in the first instance of the deciduous dentition, and then go over the permanent teeth and their functionality, both vocal and digestive.
1. Deciduous dentition
The deciduous dentition or “baby teeth” refers to the first set of teeth that appears during the ontogeny of humans and other mammals The first to appear are the lower central incisors (6-9 months), then the rest of the incisors (10 months) and, from there, the first canines and molars (15-21 months). The last teeth to emerge are the second molars, 24 months after birth.
Once all the temporary structures appear, the infant has 20 total teeth, 10 in the upper arch and 10 in the lower arch (4 incisors + 2 canines + 4 molars). The crown and root of these dental structures is much weaker than those present in permanent dentition, and in addition, the enamel and dentin layers are less thick. The mineral composition is also lower, hence its milky-white color, unlike the normal more yellowish tone.
The correct growth of the deciduous dentition It is essential for proper oral hygiene in adulthood Among all the functions of baby teeth, we can highlight the following:
The posterior deciduous molars are generally the last to fall out, between 10 and 12 years of age From the age of 13, human beings have complete dentition that will accompany them for the rest of their life.
2. Permanent teeth
Unlike the previous case, The permanent dentition is made up of 32 teeth, 16 in each arch (4 incisors+2 canines+4 premolars+6 molars X 2). You must keep in mind that, in turn, each arch is divided by two if we take into account the excision of the sagittal plane (the face composed of two halves).
The permanent dentition has a thick layer of tooth enamel, made up of hydroxyapatite and proteins. As surprising as it may seem, this biological conformation gives rise to the most resistant biological tissue in the entire human body and in the entire world, at least in nature. Beyond the enamel, various structures are distinguished, such as dentin, root cement, dental pulp and periodontium.
Next, We briefly review each of the types of permanent teeth although we will not only look at its chewing function.
As we have said, there are a total of 8 teeth (4 above and 4 below), which They make up the front section of the mouth and the main component of the smile They have a sharp edge, since their main component is to cut the food. If we see the functionality of each tooth with a maximum of 100% in all its tasks together, we will see that the incisors present 10% of chewing work and 90% of vocal/aesthetic work.
Without a doubt, the lack of an upper incisor is an aesthetic characteristic that completely breaks facial harmony, and that is why fillings, veneers and false teeth (depending on the severity of the injury) are always used to replace it. Furthermore, as we have said, Thanks to the incisors and the tongue in conjunction, dental consonants are formed such as /t/, /d/, /n/, and /l/.
2.2 Canines
The canines are a total of 4 teeth, 2 in the upper dental arch and 2 in the lower one (one on each side of the sagittal plane), whose main function is to tear food.
Due to their role in cutting up meat and other hard foods, it is not difficult for us to imagine why carnivorous animals have such developed canines (fangs). Its shape is a pointed cusp, with a large coronal and root size 20% of his work is masticatory and 80% phonetic and aesthetic.
2.3 Premolars
8 teeth (4 in each dental arch), with a total surface area larger than that of the canines and two pointed cusps. They are generally designated as bicuspid dental structures, although it is true that the lower second premolar has 3 cusps.
Its main function is to crush the food and allow it to mix with saliva, since it contains enzymes (such as α-amylase) responsible for starting the digestion process. The function of the premolars is 60% chewing, although they also have 40% phonatory work since they participate in the creation of “alveolar consonants”.
2.4 Molars
The bulk of the human dental apparatus. The molars are a total of 12 teeth, 6 in each dental arch and 3 in each sagittal plane (3×4=12). Its function is the same as that of premolars, but these pieces have 4 to 5 prominences on their surface. The main job of the molars is to break down the food as much as possible so that the bolus is easy to digest in the stomach region. Its function is almost 100% chewing.
Curiously, humans seem to be undergoing a clear dietary transition that has been taking place for hundreds of years. Because we no longer consume plant matter high in cellulose and other difficult-to-digest compounds, certain parts of our gastrointestinal tract have shortened, giving rise to structures such as the vermiform appendix. This is also reflected in the dental shape, and for this reason, many people lack third molars.
This phenomenon is known as dental agenesis or anodontia. It is estimated that approximately 25% of the world’s population lacks wisdom teeth, these structures that usually cause more problems than benefits once they begin to appear in the gum area. If these pieces are truly useless or harmful today, it can be speculated that in the future the human species will have gotten rid of them entirely.
Summary
If we want you to stay with a central idea, this is the following: the deciduous dental apparatus is made up of 20 teeth, while the permanent one has 32 (8 incisors, 4 canines, 8 premolars and 12 molars). While the incisors have an eminently phonatory and aesthetic function, the molars are responsible for breaking down food almost 100%. Each type of tooth has a different functionality, but they are all complementary and base their work on two fronts: allowing speech and food processing.
