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| WHY do we have teeth? |  |
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Teeth are extremely useful. They help you to tear, cut and break up your food into very small pieces so you can swallow it more easily. Digestion starts in your mouth with your teeth. |
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| WHY do we have teeth? | |
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Teeth are extremely useful. They help you to tear, cut and break up your food into very small pieces so you can swallow it more easily. Digestion starts in your mouth with your teeth. |
| HUMANS are omnivores. | ||
| WHAT ARE OMNIVORES? |
| OMNIVORES eat plants and animals and so they need different kinds of teeth, each kind is designed to break up different types of food. |
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Here are some facts about human teeth. A human baby has 20 baby or milk teeth. These start to develop at about 6 months old and last until you are about 5 - 6 years old. An human adult has 32 teeth called permanent teeth. These start to grow when you are about 5 -6 years old. They replace your milk teeth. You only have two sets of teeth in your life - take great care of them.  |
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| Humans have THREE kinds of teeth, each carries out a different function. | |
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1) INCISORS These are your front teeth and are used for biting into your food. They are chisel or wedge-shaped A human adult has 4 incisors in each jaw. |
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2) CANINES These are pointed and are used for tearing. An adult human has 2 canines in each jaw. |
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3) MOLARS The next teeth are the pre-molars and the molars. These are at the side of the mouth and are flat-topped. They are used for grinding food. An adult human has 4 pre-molars and 6 molars in each jaw. |
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Your teeth are covered with a hard white material called enamel. The tooth is fixed into the bony jaw socket and held in place by cement. The tooth is kept alive by a supply of blood and nerves. |
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