08/17/2026
🦷 Your Teeth Are Specialized Tools
Not all teeth are created equal. Each type in your mouth has a specific job, and understanding them helps you appreciate just how precisely engineered your smile really is.
Your teeth fall into four main categories:
✨ Incisors (8 total — top and bottom front)
Flat, sharp edges built for cutting and slicing food. They're your first line of breakdown, handling fruits, vegetables, and bread.
✨ Canines (4 total — one on each side of your incisors)
Pointy and slightly longer, canines tear and grip food. They also guide your jaw into proper alignment when you close your mouth.
✨ Premolars (8 total — between canines and molars)
Flat surfaces with ridges designed for crushing and grinding. They bridge the gap between your front teeth and back molars in the breakdown process.
✨ Molars (12 total including wisdom teeth)
Your powerhouses. Large, flat surfaces with multiple cusps that crush, grind, and pulverize food into smaller pieces. Wisdom teeth typically emerge in your late teens or early twenties.
When any of these teeth are missing or damaged, the whole system works harder to compensate — which can lead to wear, jaw problems, and difficulty chewing. That's why maintaining all your teeth, and replacing missing ones, matters for your whole mouth's health.
If you're missing teeth or concerned about your bite, professional evaluation can help restore your mouth's natural function.
Jeffrey L. Cohen, DDS
Jeffrey L. Cohen, DDS
204 West College