Dentition is a term that describes all of the upper and lower teeth in the dental arch. Dentition pertains to the development of teeth and their arrangement in the mouth. It is the characteristic arrangement, kind, and number of teeth. There are three dentition periods. They are primary dentition, mix dentition, and permanent dentition. First stage is primary dentition which is consists of 20 teeth in all. Mix dentition is the second stage of both primary and permanent teeth. The last stage is permanent dentition is composed of 32 teeth in all, 16 upper and 16 lower. Half of a dental arch is called a quadrant. The permanent teeth that replace deciduous teeth are called succedaneous teeth.
Teeth help you chew your food, making it easier to digest. Each type of tooth has a slightly different job. Types of teeth include incisors, canines, premolars, and molars. Incisors are the eight teeth in the front and center of the mouth. These are the teeth that you use to take bites of your food. Your four canines are the next type of teeth to develop. These are your sharpest teeth and are used for ripping and tearing food apart. Premolars, or bicuspids, are used for chewing and grinding food. You have four premolars on each side of your mouth, two on the upper and two on the lower jaw. Molars are much larger than premolars, usually having four or more cusps. The function of the 12 molars is to chew or grind up food.
Dentists have a specialized notation systems for when they discuss and write about specific teeth. Each tooth is assigned a number and is therefore more convenient to reference. Three basic numbering system used are Universal /National System, International Standards Organization System, and Palmer Notation System. The Universal numbering system is a dental notation system commonly used throughout the United States. It assigns numbered values and letters to each tooth. The ISO/FDI system uses a two-digit tooth-recording system. The