---
title: "Teeth — what it does and the numbers"
description: "32 adult teeth including wisdom teeth; 20 in the primary set. What it does, where it is, the figures people look up, and the widely repeated claims that turn out to "
url: https://atoneplace.net/body/teeth/
site: "At One Place"
---

# Teeth

**Teeth: 32 adult teeth including wisdom teeth; 20 in the primary set.**

Cut, tear and grind food. Enamel is the hardest substance the body produces, harder than steel by indentation, but it contains no living cells and cannot regenerate once lost.

## The numbers

- **Adult teeth:** 32, including 4 wisdom teeth
- **Primary teeth:** 20
- **Enamel hardness:** 5 Mohs
- **Types:** 8 incisors, 4 canines, 8 premolars, 12 molars

## Worth knowing

Enamel is the only tissue in the body that cannot repair itself, because it contains no cells — every cavity is permanent damage that has to be filled rather than healed. Wisdom teeth are vestigial third molars, and a substantial minority of people never develop some or all of them.

> Structural reference only — this is not medical advice, and individual variation in every figure here is substantial. Anything concerning your own health belongs with a clinician rather than a reference page.

## Common questions

### What does the teeth do?

Cut, tear and grind food.

### Teeth — key numbers

Adult teeth: 32, including 4 wisdom teeth. Primary teeth: 20. Enamel hardness: 5 Mohs. Types: 8 incisors, 4 canines, 8 premolars, 12 molars.

## Related pages

- [Heart](https://atoneplace.net/body/heart/)
- [Brain](https://atoneplace.net/body/brain/)
- [Bones](https://atoneplace.net/body/bones/)
- [Blood types](https://atoneplace.net/body/blood-types/)
- [Blood](https://atoneplace.net/body/blood/)
- [Liver](https://atoneplace.net/body/liver/)

## Sources

- Typical range compiled from manufacturer specifications — At One Place (/about/)