Common Misconceptions in Primary Science
Easy to read help and explanations about the common misconceptions that are encountered during Primary School science lessons.
Unit 3A - Our Teeth
We use our teeth to cut up our food so that we can swallow it and easily digest it.
We are not usually born with teeth, they start to emerge after a few months. As children we get 20 milk teeth that eventually fall out and are replaced by 32 adult teeth as we grow older.
Teeth have long roots that project through the gum into sockets in the jaw. The exposed part of a tooth is covered with a protective coating of shiny white enamel. A network of blood vessels and nerves extend through the root keeping the tooth alive and allowing the food to be felt whilst eating.
Humans are omnivores and we eat a mixture of different types of foods, such as meat and vegetation. We have different types of teeth for dealing with these different types of food:
- Incisors - these are sharp wedge shaped teeth at the front for biting into food. There are four in each jaw.
- Canines - these are the pointed teeth used for tearing food. Humans have two in each jaw.
- Molars - These are the flat teeth at the back of the jaw for grinding down and chewing food. An adult human has ten in each jaw.
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