How many teeth do we have? What are their functions? How did our teeth evolve? Here’s the interesting scoop….
The following written content by Chloe Page
Just how many teeth do humans have? We take a bite out of the science to help you digest the facts.
Our teeth are vital to everyday function, but just how many teeth do humans have? While developing in the womb, babies grow all the teeth needed for their entire life – a total of 52 teeth. Baby teeth then begin to erupt at around the age of four to seven months. Once children reach the age of six, their adult teeth should begin to come through. These deciduous or ‘baby’ teeth are placeholders in the jaw for the larger number of adult teeth.
No matter your age, taking care of your teeth is essential in order to prevent them from falling out prematurely; so knowing how to use an electric toothbrush and how to floss your teeth are a great way to improve your oral hygiene. You can also find great Oral B electric toothbrush deals here at Live Science.
Fifty two teeth is an incredible number, but just how many of those are adult teeth? What are the different types of teeth? Why are wisdom teeth painful? In this article, we crunch the numbers and help you digest the facts behind some of humanity’s greatest assets.
Just how many teeth do humans have once they reach adulthood? Babies are born with a total of 52 teeth. Only 20 of these are milk teeth, whereas 32 of those are adult teeth. Once you reach the age of 21, you should theoretically have all of your adult teeth set in your gums. However, this is not always the case.
According to the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, adults between the ages of 20 and 64 have an average of 24.92 remaining teeth and 3.75% of adults in this age bracket had no remaining teeth. A report by the Surgeon General supports this, stating that most Americans have lost an average of 12.1 teeth by age 50. And according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 26% of older adults aged over 65 have eight or fewer teeth, while 17% of them have lost all of their teeth.
By what causes adults to lose teeth? According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ report in 2000, teeth can be lost due to ‘trauma, orthodontic treatment, and removal of third molars…’ However, most adult teeth can be lost due to ‘periodontal disease or dental caries’ – also known as gum disease or cavities. Read more from Live Science.
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