Why do we have teeth?
Humans are omnivores – this means that they eat meat and plants.
Human teeth need to be able to tear meat off of bones as well as grind down carrots to be swallowed.
Over millions of years, humans have evolved and developed different types of teeth to do these jobs.
Each type of tooth has a special job – some cut food, some tear it, and others grind it down.
Their shapes and sizes have evolved to help us eat, speak clearly, and they even give structure to our faces.
Watch: The gorgeous vampires at the dentist
Even Vampires have to go to the dentist sometimes… how else would they keep their teeth looking so fangtastic?
HEATHER: The next patient asked for the curtains to be closed. I don't know why.
VLADIMIR: Greetings, I am Vladimir and I am here - for a checkup actually.
SEBASTIAN: And I'm Sebastian and I'm here for moral support.
VLADIMIR: I'm errr… 432 years old. I hear check ups are free for pensioners.
HEATHER: Sorry, you're 432 years old.
SEBASTIAN: You look amazing.
VLADIMIR: I know. Let's skip the exam. This carnivore wants to eat.
VLADIMIR: HISSES. Ah.
DENTIST: You say you're a carnivore?
VLADIMIR: Yeah. All my prey is fresh meat. Speaking of which. HISSES
DENTIST: I know what a carnivore is. I'm just not sure you're one.
SEBASTIAN: I beg your pardon?
HEATHER: Comfy?
VLADIMIR: Not really.
HEATHER: Perfect.
DENTIST: You don't seem to have the teeth of a carnivore.
SEBASTIAN: Of course he's a carnivore. He drinks a lot of blood.
Oh, by the way, you're really rocking those gog-gogs.
VLADIMIR: I've got supernatural cheekbones.
SEBASTIAN: Yeah. You do.
DENTIST: So, firstly. Animals that eat and drink blood like leeches, mosquitoes and vampire bats. They're known as sanguivores not carnivores. But you don't seem to have the teeth of a sanguivore you have normal human teeth.
Eight incisors at the front. These are for biting meat.
VLADIMIR: Haha! And I shall bite your ar…
DENTIST: What? I can't seem to see your teeth in the mirror or the rest of you for that matter. How is that even possible?
SEBASTIAN: That's totally not a vampire thing.
DENTIST: Anyway, you see these 12 teeth at the back? Six on each side. These are your molars. Which herbivores like cows and sheep use to grind plants. And…
SEBASTIAN: Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. We are not sheep. Even though we would slay with curls.
DENTIST: And these eight here are your pre-molars. Yes, used for eating vegetables and meat.
SEBASTIAN: What about the fangs? Come on, we're all thinking it.
DENTIST: Ah, yes. These are your canines. You have four. And in your case, the top two pointy ones here seem to be elongated. Heather make a note.
SEBASTIAN: Write ‘perfect for biting flesh' as well.
DENTIST: And carrots.
SEBASTIAN: Yeah, I know what a carrot is.
DENTIST: Basically, you have the teeth of an animal that can eat everything. Like all humans, you are what is known as an omnivore.
VLADIMIR: To be fair, I do love a carrot.
SEBASTIAN: And you wouldn't have chipped your teeth on a carrot like you did the receptionist.
HEATHER: What, Janice?
SEBASTIAN: Did I say receptionist? I meant biscuit.
DENTIST: Right. Well, you have perfectly normal, healthy teeth apart from your extended canines, which have created a gap. But I can help you with that.
SEBASTIAN: Oh, Vladimir you take fabulousness to a whole 'nother level.
VLADIMIR: I've always been self-conscious about my huge fangs. Sorry, canines but with my new braces I feel more confident.
This omnivore won't hide in the shadows any longer.
Noooooo! Aaaaaaarrrrgh!
DENTIST: Heather, did they pay their bill before they disintegrated?
HEATHER: No.
Why do I have different types of teeth?
An adult human normally has 32 teeth in total:
8 incisors: the sharp, flat teeth at the front. Their job is to cut food.
4 canines: the pointed teeth at the side of the incisors. Their job is for tearing food.
8 premolars: the wider teeth with ridges. Their job is to crushing food in to small pieces.
12 molars (including 4 wisdom teeth): the big teeth at the back. Their job is to grind food into smaller pieces ready to be swallowed.
As the human diet has changed over millions of years, so have our teeth.
Early humans needed strong canines for tearing, but as our diet changed and we needed to grind our food, molars became more important.
Horrible Science fact
All humans have the same type of teeth but tooth size and shape can vary from person to person.
Habits such as grinding teeth, a person’s diet and whether they have small holes or cracks in their teeth (cavities) can affect tooth shape and colour over time.
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