Page 26 - Viva ICSE Science 4 : E-book

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The Teeth

Teeth are among the most distinctive features of
KEY CONCEPTS
human beings. We are born without teeth, but
• Kinds of teeth and their function
with time we develop them in our mouth. They
• A tooth and its parts
help us to bite and chew food to make it smaller
• Care of teeth and gums
and easier to swallow. They also help us to speak

clearly and look good.

Humans develop two sets of teeth in their lifetime. They are temporary (primary) teeth
and permanent teeth. Let’s know about them.

Temporary teeth are the fi rst set of teeth that starts growing out of the gums of most

children from about six months of their age. This can be painful. By the time they grow
three years old, they usually have a set of about 20 primary teeth. This fi rst set of teeth is

also known as milk or baby or deciduous teeth.

Permanent teeth are the second set of teeth that start to appear in place of primary
teeth at about the age of 6 or 7 years. They are also called the adult teeth. An adult

usually has 32 permanent teeth, which lasts for a long time in their mouth.

temporary teeth permanent teeth
Sets of teeth

Kinds of Teeth and Their Function

The set of teeth we have are divided into four kinds based on their shapes and functions.
They are incisors, canines, premolars and molars.

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