What is a dental formula?
Q: What is a dental formula?
A: A dental formula is a summary of the teeth of a mammal. It includes the number and type of teeth on each side of the upper and lower mouth.
Q: How many kinds of teeth do mammals have?
A: Almost all mammals have four kinds of teeth, which are incisors, canines, premolars, and molars.
Q: How is an animal's dentition expressed as a dental formula?
A: An animal's dentition for either deciduous or permanent teeth can be expressed as a dental formula written in the form of a fraction with I (incisors), C (canines), P (premolars), and M (molars) listed in that order. For example, 2123/2123 would indicate two incisors, one canine, two premolars, and three molars on one side of the upper mouth.
Q: What does diastema mean?
A: Diastema refers to a gap between front teeth and back teeth that is natural feature in many types of mammal.
Q: What are carnassials used for?
A: Carnassials are specialized sharp-edged molar or premolar teeth used to slice meat and skin. They are always the fourth upper premolar and first lower molar in felines and horses.
Q: How do horses' teeth adapt to their diet? A: Horses' dentition is highly specialized for eating grass due to continuous growth from their roots which counters tooth wear. The incisors seize the grass while the molars grind it up into smaller pieces.
