The Mammalian Teeth: Dentition and its Types
Feeding is essential to all living things for growth and development. Also, all animals have teeth which are used for grinding or chewing. In this post, we will be talking about mammalian teeth and their types.
In mammals, there are different sets or types of teeth. But first, let’s understand the meaning of dentition.
What is Dentition?
Dentition refers to the arrangement, development, number, and types of teeth found in an animal. This brings us to the different types of teeth found in mammals.
The Different Types of Teeth
Milk and Permanent Dentition
A child growing from infancy has what we call milk teeth or deciduous dentition. These milk teeth fall out later, usually around the age of six, and are replaced by permanent teeth. The permanent teeth then stay until old age. Children have about 20 milk teeth, and adults have 32 permanent teeth.
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Homodont and Heterodont Dentition
Homodont dentition is the type of dentition where the teeth are similar in size and shape. Examples of animals with homodont dentition include fish and reptiles. In contrast, heterodont dentition refers to teeth that vary in size, shape, and function. Mammals have heterodont dentition, which includes the following types of teeth:
Incisors
Incisors are usually seen in the front part of the upper and lower jaws. Their structure is like a chisel with broad and sharp edges. They are used for cutting pieces of meat or food, and can also be used to capture prey.
Canines
Canines come after the incisors and are located behind them in the upper and lower jaws. They are large and sharp, used for capturing prey and tearing flesh.
Premolars
Premolars follow the canines in the upper and lower jaws. They are big in size. Some mammals have premolars with flat surfaces used for grinding food, while others have surfaces with two or more ridges called cusps, which are used for tearing flesh from bone.
Molars
Molars, also known as cheek teeth along with premolars, are the last set of teeth in the upper and lower jaws. Molars are only found in permanent dentition. They are large in size and their surfaces can be either flat or have cusps, used for grinding food.
