How many teeth does a human being have? Everything you ever wanted to know about your teeth!

Created: August 29, 2022 | Updated: December 19, 2022

Table of contents

- How many teeth does a human have?

- The first teeth as a baby

- How many teeth does a child have?

- Interesting facts about your teeth

- Take good care of your teeth at any age

You use it several times a day, it is amazingly strong and you have to take good care of it. What are they? Your teeth, of course! In this article, we will tell you everything you ever wanted to know about human teeth. For example, do you know how many teeth a child or adult has? Read on to find out!

How many teeth does a human have?

It is a frequently asked quiz question, but how many teeth does an adult really have? A fully grown human tooth normally consists of 32 teeth. This number includes the four wisdom teeth. However, not everyone gets wisdom teeth. In 25% of people, one or more wisdom teeth do not erupt, and 4% do not get any wisdom teeth at all. If this is the case for you, then the number of teeth in your mouth is between 28 and 31. Our teeth are made up of two symmetrical arches of teeth, which are located in the upper and lower jaw. Per dental arch, humans have 16 teeth. These are different types of teeth, each of which performs a specific task. In the entire dentition, there are eight incisors, four canines, eight premolars, eight molars and four wisdom teeth. The incisors are the front teeth in the dentition. Their sharp edges allow them to cut and chew food. The canines are located on either side of the incisors and are easy to recognise. They are pointed and large. The canines are used to firmly clamp the food in the mouth. The premolars, molars and wisdom teeth are counted as molars. So a simple calculation tells us that there are 20 molars in the teeth. The premolars are just behind the canines. They are followed by the molars and finally the wisdom teeth. The function of the molars is to grind the food in a rotary movement. That is why they have a knobbly surface.

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The first teeth as a baby

A baby is born without teeth. These come through later. In most cases, the first tooth appears around the age of six months. However, this can also be sooner or later. The first two teeth to emerge are often the lower incisors. Normally, the milk teeth are complete at around 30 months.

How many teeth does a child have?

The baby teeth consist of only 20 primary teeth: eight incisors, four canines and eight molars. The incisors are the first teeth to emerge, followed by the first molars, the canines and finally the second molars. Around the age of six to seven, the first baby teeth fall out and the teeth of the permanent teeth come through. By around the age of 12, the milk teeth have fully erupted into adult teeth.

Interesting facts about your teeth

Would you like to surprise your family or friends with some fun facts about your teeth? We have listed the funniest facts below.

Teeth are very strong. This is due to tooth enamel, which is made up of the mineral apatite. This makes teeth the last parts of the human body to be preserved after death.
People already brushed their teeth 4000 years before Christ. They did this without toothpaste, with a twig from a tree.
Apart from grinding food, teeth also have another function. They are indispensable for speech. Without teeth, many sounds cannot be formed.