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).

Understanding the Context

Opossums have 18, whereas armadillos, anteaters and other animals in the superorder Xenarthra have none. [1] There are five teeth in each quadrant, composed of two incisors (central and lateral), a canine, and two molars. These teeth are referred to as letters A, B, C, D and E. The primary teeth begin to erupt at 6 months of age.

Key Insights

The permanent dentition is composed of 32 teeth with 16 in each arch. Incisor Teeth, or incisors for short, are located at the very front of your mouth, making them the first thing people see when you smile. They are responsible for cutting through food. Humans have the following types of teeth: Incisors are the sharp teeth at the front of the mouth that bite into food and cut it into smaller pieces. They are flat with a thin edge.

Final Thoughts

They are also... The meaning of INCISOR is a front tooth typically adapted for cutting; especially : one of the cutting teeth in mammals located between the canines when canines are present. The incisor tooth is the correct dental term for the front, chisel-shaped teeth in the human mouth. Derived from the Latin word incidere, meaning “to cut,” the incisor’s name defines its primary function. Structure and surrounding structures of a tooth seen in cross section. The incisors are chisel shaped teeth located anteriorly within the oral cavity.

Their name originates from the Latin word ‘incidere’, which means ‘to cut’. Hence, their main function is to cut food during mastication. / ɪnˈsɑɪ zər / Add to word list one of the sharp teeth at the front of the mouth that cut food when you bite into it (Definition of incisor from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)