Types of Teeth

The eight **incisors**, four top and four bottom, are the sharp front teeth you use for biting into food. The four **cuspids** (or canines) flank the incisors and have a pointed edge (cusp) to tear up food. These fang-like teeth are superb for piercing tough or fleshy foods. Posterior to the cuspids are the eight **premolars** (or bicuspids), which have an overall flatter shape with two rounded cusps useful for mashing foods. The most posterior and largest are the 12 **molars**, which have several pointed cusps used to crush food so it is ready for swallowing. The third members of each set of three molars, top and bottom, are commonly referred to as the wisdom teeth, because their eruption is commonly delayed until early adulthood. It is not uncommon for wisdom teeth to fail to erupt; that is, they remain impacted. In these cases, the teeth are typically removed by orthodontic surgery.



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## Keywords
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