Adults typically have 32 permanent (adult) teeth, which include:
- 8 incisors (4 upper, 4 lower) for biting and cutting food
- 4 canines (2 upper, 2 lower) for tearing and gripping food
- 8 premolars (4 upper, 4 lower) for crushing and tearing food
- 12 molars (6 upper, 6 lower), including 4 wisdom teeth (third molars), for grinding and chewing food
If wisdom teeth are removed or do not erupt, adults may have 28 teeth instead of 32
. The full set of adult teeth usually erupts by the late teens to early twenties, with wisdom teeth often appearing between ages 17 and 25
