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Structure and Types of Incisors
- Adult humans have eight incisors, two of each type.
- Types of incisors: maxillary central incisor, maxillary lateral incisor, mandibular central incisor, mandibular lateral incisor.
- Children with deciduous teeth also have eight incisors, named the same way as permanent teeth.
- Tooth eruption and development determine the number of incisors in young children.
- The order of eruption for primary teeth: mandibular central incisors, maxillary central incisors, mandibular lateral incisors, maxillary laterals.
Incisors in Different Animals
- The number of incisors varies among different animal species.
- Opossums have 18 incisors.
- Armadillos have no incisors.
- Cats, dogs, foxes, pigs, and horses have twelve incisors.
- Rodents have four incisors.
Function of Incisors
- In cats, incisors are small, and meat is bitten off with canines and carnassials.
- Elephants have modified upper incisors as curved tusks.
- Rodents' incisors grow continuously and are worn by gnawing.
- Human incisors are used to cut off pieces of food and grip other food items.
Additional Images
- Arrangement of incisors in an adult human.
- Mouth (oral cavity).
- Left maxilla. Outer surface.
- Base of skull. Inferior surface.
Related Topics
- Canine tooth.
- Molar.
- Premolar.
- Shovel-shaped incisors.
- References.
Incisors (from Latin incidere, "to cut") are the front teeth present in most mammals. They are located in the premaxilla above and on the mandible below. Humans have a total of eight (two on each side, top and bottom). Opossums have 18, whereas armadillos have none.
| Incisor | |
|---|---|
 Permanent teeth of the right half of the lower dental arch, seen from above. | |
 The permanent teeth of a human, viewed from the right. | |
| Details | |
| Identifiers | |
| Latin | dens incisivus |
| MeSH | D007180 |
| TA98 | A05.1.03.004 |
| TA2 | 906 |
| FMA | 12823 |
| Anatomical terminology | |
