The teeth are formally considered as accessory digestive organs, but as they are both osseous tissue as well as integral to the structure of the skull. The average adult human has 32 teeth, with 16 of these being anchored in the maxilla and 16 in the mandible. Chewing is accomplished by moving the mandible in proximity to the maxilla so that the teeth of the two bones are brought together, cutting, grinding, and tearing food. The teeth are paired, with two of each variety in the top row and two of each in the bottom, with every tooth in the top row matching one in the bottom as well. In the adult, the sixteen teeth in a row consist of four incisors (two central, two lateral), two canines, four premolars, and six molars. In the child, however, the four premolars and the back two molars are missing in the deciduous teeth. Because it is usually between the age of 18-21 that the last two molars grow in, these teeth are often called 'wisdom teeth.' Research Teeth
Abbreviations
Medicine
Research Teeth