Teeth

You should be able to label this diagram. You should also know about the different kinds of teeth and how they are used. You will certainly know about plaque, dental decay and toothpaste from all those adverts, parents and dentists, so I will not bother with that part of the syllabus.   Labels enamel dentine gum pulp cavity jaw root neck    This is an incisor. We use our incisors for biting off pieces of food. Canines, pre-molars and molars are a different shape but they all have the same parts. Our canines have a very similar shape to our incisors and basically do the same job. In the cat and dog families, the canines are usually very long and pointed. You have all heard of "sabre tooth tigers"; they had very long canines. Cats and dogs use their canines for tearing flesh. These long teeth help them catch, kill and tear-up their prey. The only difference between pre-molars and molars is that we don't have molars in our milk teeth. We use them to crush food. If you tell me that you use yours to grind your food, I will know that you are a cow (or some other herbivore). If you tell me that you use your molars to slice up your food I will know that you are a cat or dog. Although badgers are closely related to cats and dogs, their molars are just like ours and are used to crush their food rather than slice or grind it. crown