dentition

The dentition and dental formulae of a typical herbivore (sheep) and carnivore (dog). The dog has long pointed canines for puncturing and gripping its prey and has modified premolars and molars (carnassials) for shearing flesh. In the sheep, by contrast, there is a wide gap, or diastema, between the incisors, developed for cutting through blades of grass, and the grinding premolars and molars; the canines are absent.

Type and number of teeth in a species. Different kinds of teeth have different functions; a grass-eating animal will have large molars for grinding its food, whereas a meat-eater will need powerful canines for catching and killing its prey. The teeth that are less useful to an animal's lifestyle may be reduced in size or missing altogether. An animal's dentition is represented diagramatically by a dental formula.

Young children have deciduous dentition, popularly known as ‘milk teeth’, the first ones erupting at about six months of age. Mixed dentition is present from the ages of about six (when the first milk teeth are shed) to about 12. Permanent dentition (up to 32 teeth) is usually complete by the mid-teens, although the third molars (wisdom teeth) may not appear until around the age of 21.