dentition
Quick Summary
Dentition refers to the arrangement and type of teeth in an animal's mouth, which are crucial for functions like catching and chewing food. In mammals, teeth have evolved to specialize based on diet. Primitive teeth were sharp for tearing flesh or crushing exoskeletons. Herbivores often develop complex cheek teeth for grinding, while omnivores, like humans, have molars with rounded cusps.12
The human digestive system begins in the mouth, where teeth play a key role in mastication (chewing). This mechanical process breaks down food into smaller particles and mixes it with saliva, preparing it for further digestion. Humans typically have two sets of teeth: primary (deciduous) and permanent. The permanent dentition consists of incisors for cutting, canines for tearing, premolars for cutting and grinding, and molars for crushing and grinding. The structure of teeth includes enamel (the hardest tissue), dentine, and pulp, which contains nerves and blood vessels.31
Ask Britannica AI about this topic
Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.
dinosaurThe plant eaters…the Late Cretaceous) featured large dental batteries in both the upper and lower jaws, which consisted of many tightly compressed teeth that formed a long crushing or grinding surface. The preferred food of the duckbills cannot be certified, but at least one specimen found in Wyoming offers an intriguing clue:…
Read More…the Late Cretaceous) featured large dental batteries in both the upper and lower jaws, which consisted of many tightly compressed teeth that formed a long crushing or grinding surface. The preferred food of the duckbills cannot be certified, but at least one specimen found in Wyoming offers an intriguing clue:…
Read More
dinosaurThe plant eaters…body plan and from their teeth. It is probable, for example, that low-built animals such as the ankylosaurs, stegosaurs, and ceratopsians fed on low shrubbery. The tall ornithopods, especially the duckbills, and the long-necked sauropods probably browsed on high branches and treetops. No dinosaurs could have fed on grasses (family…
Read More…body plan and from their teeth. It is probable, for example, that low-built animals such as the ankylosaurs, stegosaurs, and ceratopsians fed on low shrubbery. The tall ornithopods, especially the duckbills, and the long-necked sauropods probably browsed on high branches and treetops. No dinosaurs could have fed on grasses (family…
Read More
dinosaurCeratopsia…support a large battery of teeth similar to those of the duckbills. The lower jawbones were joined at the front and capped by a stout beak formed of the toothless predentary bone. This structure itself must have been covered by a sharp, horny, turtlelike beak. Continuous dental surfaces extended over…
Read More…support a large battery of teeth similar to those of the duckbills. The lower jawbones were joined at the front and capped by a stout beak formed of the toothless predentary bone. This structure itself must have been covered by a sharp, horny, turtlelike beak. Continuous dental surfaces extended over…
Read More
Homo erectus…brain was smaller and the teeth larger than in modern humans. H. erectus appears to have been the first human species to control fire, some 1,000,000 years ago. The species seems to have flourished until some 200,000 years ago (200 kya) or perhaps later before giving way to other humans…
Read More…brain was smaller and the teeth larger than in modern humans. H. erectus appears to have been the first human species to control fire, some 1,000,000 years ago. The species seems to have flourished until some 200,000 years ago (200 kya) or perhaps later before giving way to other humans…
Read More
NeanderthalNeanderthal culture…by instruments on the front teeth, it is possible to surmise that Neanderthals were largely right-handed and that handedness arose early during maturation, as such striations were found on the teeth of a 6–8-year-old individual. Furthermore, differences in dental chipping and wear were observed between male and female remains, which…
Read More…by instruments on the front teeth, it is possible to surmise that Neanderthals were largely right-handed and that handedness arose early during maturation, as such striations were found on the teeth of a 6–8-year-old individual. Furthermore, differences in dental chipping and wear were observed between male and female remains, which…
Read More



