Humans have two sets of teeth in their lifetime. We grow milk teeth as babies, which fall out and are followed by our adult teeth.
Teeth come in different shapes and sizes because they do different jobs:
Our front four teeth, the incisors, are used for biting and cutting.
The sharp, pointed canines are used for tearing.
Flat-topped molars grind and crush our food.
Our bodies start the process of food digestion by chewing food up into small pieces before swallowing it down into the stomach. We must take great care of our teeth all through our lives because micro-organisms in our mouths can damage teeth and gums by causing decay and painful gums.
Let's look at how our teeth are designed and how they work.