TOPIC: BASICS OF DENTAL ANATOMY

📌 KEY POINTS:

A Tooth is defined as “One of the hard tissues that are positioned on the jaws and help in holding and mastication of food, also as weapons of offense and defense in lower animals.”

💠 Human dentitions are divided into many classes of teeth based on the appearance and function or position.

💠Different Classes of Teeth and Their Types

• INCISORS: Incisors are named because they are used to incise or cut food. They are located in the front part of the mouth and have sharp, thin edges for cutting. 
• CUSPIDS: Cuspids, also referred to as canines, are at the angles of the mouth. Each tooth has a single cusp instead of an incisal edge and are designed for cutting and tearing. 
• BICUSPIDS: Bicuspids, also referred to as premolars, are similar to the cuspids. They have two cusps used for cutting and tearing, and an occlusal surface that is wider to crush the food.  
• MOLARS: Molars are located in the back part of the mouth. Their size gradually becomes smaller from the first to third molar. Each molar has four or five cusps; these teeth are shorter and blunter in shape than other teeth and provide a broad surface for grinding and chewing solid masses of food.