When counting teeth in your mouth, the first thing you’ll want to do is identify which tooth chart numbered corresponds with which tooth name. This can be tricky at first, but the chart below shows how the numbers correspond with the tooth names. Once you know how to identify which number corresponds with which tooth, you’ll need to decide whether or not it will impact your orthodontic treatment if there are fewer or more teeth than normal. If so, consult with your orthodontist about whether or not your teeth will require any special attention as you move forward with your treatment plan.
Top Front Teeth
The top two front teeth are known as incisors. Incisors are hard, sharp and usually chisel-shaped. Teeth in front of your canine teeth are actually premolars, also known as bicuspids. These teeth typically have rounded cusps (raised sections) and help us chew our food before it goes to our molars (back teeth). If you look closely at your tooth numbers chart, you’ll notice that your third molar is called a tooth chart numbered; they don’t appear until later in life when our other teeth have worn down. To keep up with oral hygiene, be sure to brush twice per day: once in the morning and once before bedtime.
Bottom Front Teeth
The numbers for your bottom front teeth are easy to remember: You start with No. 1, which is your incisor, and then No. 2, which is your second incisor (that one’s easy to remember because it comes after No. 1). After those two is another number that looks like a period: That’s where you move from upper teeth to lower teeth in counting, so you have No. 3, followed by 4, 5 and 6 as your bottom front teeth—your canines (another word for dog teeth). Now you can see why people often call these their eye teeth. Then you have Nos.
Left Side Teeth
(1) Wisdom Teeth, (2) First Molars, (3) Second Molars, (4) Canines, and (5) Premolars. Teeth are numbered according to where they are located along each arch. Wisdom teeth can be found at any point within these ranges. Most people have four wisdom teeth; one on each side and two on top that erupt behind other molars. However, some people don’t develop them because their jaws don’t have enough room for them to grow properly. If you were born with fewer than 28 permanent adult teeth you will likely develop extra wisdom teeth because there is a space reserved for them in your jawbone. You’ll also find premolars, second molars, first molars and canines on both sides of your mouth. The numbers associated with these types of teeth are based on which tooth sits directly across from it in its respective arch. For example, if you look at a chart showing what tooth goes where, you’ll see that wisdom teeth go directly across from third molars or wisdom teeth. Because we call our third molar wisdom teeth we use numbering to indicate which tooth comes before it and after it when referring to them by name. This is why our last set of baby teeth get called wisdom even though they aren’t really all that wise!
Right Side Teeth
The numbering system for teeth is fairly simple to understand. Each tooth in your mouth is assigned its own number and then followed by a letter representing which quadrant of your mouth it’s in. If you are looking at the top left side of your mouth, starting with your first tooth or upper central incisor, you’ll be working from left to right until you reach that final tooth or lower lateral incisor. You will start with one (1) and work up to twenty-eight (28). Working from right to left, you’ll begin at thirty-one (31) and end at fifty-two (52). A person with no teeth would have zero (0) teeth in each quadrant.
Back Tooth Chart
The back teeth are, as they’re labeled, behind our front teeth. They consist of six molars and two premolars on either side. The bottom four molars are also known as wisdom teeth. In adults, these usually don’t emerge until we’re about 17 years old, but can come in anytime between ages 16 and 35. Everyone’s third molar is situated a little differently, but there are rules to help predict if a third molar will emerge at all and where it might erupt. People born with a cleft palate or their parents with impacted wisdom teeth should consult their dentist early on to make sure they don’t need orthodontic work done while they still have space for all 20 primary (baby) and 32 permanent (adult) teeth! If you already have an adult set of chompers, check out How To Brush Your Teeth: A Guide For Kids Of All Ages. You’ll learn how to brush correctly, choose the right toothbrush and toothpaste, and maintain healthy teeth through adulthood! It’s never too late to start taking care of your smile—teeth by number or not!