Types of Teeth

We hope our patients at Redwood Dental Smiles have enjoyed learning more about their oral health on our new blog. In order to gain a fuller understanding of various oral health issues and procedures, it will be necessary to learn a bit about how teeth differ from each other and which issues most affect them.


People typically grow thirty-two permanent teeth, with sixteen in each jaw that mirror each other in type. At the front of each jaw are two pairs of incisors, which are the flat, vertical teeth. They are for tearing food and forming speech. We often provide them with veneers to improve their color or provide minor adjustments in shape. On each side of the incisors is a pointy canine tooth, which is also called an eye-tooth or a cuspid. It is for piercing food and helps to stabilize the overall arch shape the teeth form.


In the back of the mouth are the teeth for chewing. They include two sets of premolars and three sets of molars. Their surface of cusps and valley make them vulnerable to decay, which is why they are coated with sealants. Molars are large and have multiple roots, with the bottom ones having two and the upper ones having as many as three. Wisdom teeth are the backmost and largest of the molars.


Redwood Dental Smiles is operated by Dr. Vijay Munagala at 20212 Redwood Rd, Suite 101, Castro Valley, California, 64546. To schedule an appointment, visit Redwood Dental Smiles or call 510-886-6416.

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