28/06/2020
The Mammalian Teeth
The tooth we all know is a vital and hard structure made of calcium carbonate or limestone present in vertebrates that enable them to feed by chewing, biting or grinding food substances.
The formation, number, arrangement and types of teeth in an animal is known as dentition. So different vertebrates have different type of dentition.
Organisms that have the same or similar size and shape of teeth have a homodont dentition, thus are called homodonts e.g. fish, amphibians, reptiles.
Organisms that have different sizes and shapes of teeth have heterodont dentition, thus are called heterodonts e.g. mammals. They have incisors, canines, premolars and molars all adapted to serve different functions during feeding.
A tooth has three parts viz a crown which projects above the jaws; the root which embeds in the jaws; and the neck covered by the gum.
The internal structure of the tooth has a central pulp cavity with connective tissue, blood vessels and nerves. The dentine is the hard material that surrounds the pulp. Other parts like enamel covers the crown and neck while the cement covers the root contributing to the firmness of the teeth to the gums. A fibrous tissue called the periodontal membrane covers the cement thus holding the tooth inside the hole in the jaws bone.
In a child, the first set of teeth is called the milk dentition. At about six years of age, it falls off and are replaced by the permanent teeth which remains till old age.
A short way of representing the number of heterodont dentition i.e. different kinds of teeth in one half of the upper and lower jaws is called the dental formula. Usually multiplied by 2 to get the total number of teeth in an animal.
Key: I for incisors
C for canines
P for premolars
M for molars.
Man: I 2/2. C 1/1. P 2/2. M 3/3 = 16 × 2 = 32
Dog: I 3/3. C 1/1. P 4/4. M 2/3 = 21 × 2 = 42
Rabbit: I 2/1. C.0/0. 3/2. M 3/3 = 14 × 2 = 28
Note: Each of these dentitions have adaptive features that enable them carry out their functions.
Care should be given to the teeth to avoid disease of any kind be it microbial infection like dental plague or any mechanical injury that can pose uneasiness to the animal.
Brushing of teeth at least twice a day.
Avoid chewing hard food materials like bone etc.
Visit your dentist any time you experience tooth aches.
Rinse your mouth always with water immediately after meal to lush off food particles from the teeth.
In summary, a healthy teeth with other digestive organs intact is proportional to easy digestion of food.
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