There are 32 permanent teeth in your mouth that you’ll have to take care of throughout your entire life. By the time you turn 32, you’ll probably be well on your way to filling up that whole mouth of yours with molars, premolars, and incisors. In order to make sure that your teeth stay healthy and strong, you’ll need to brush and floss regularly as well as see your dentist twice a year to help remove any plaque buildup or deal with potential infections that may have developed since your last visit. But where do all these numbers come from?

Why do we have different tooth numbers

The tooth number, or quadrant, the system comes from an early scientific approach to dentistry. Researchers hypothesized that there were two groups of teeth: The maxillary (upper) and mandibular (lower). Therefore, they split up these two groups into left and right halves. Finally, they decided to label each half with a separate number and letter designator. This left us with four numbers: Lower left (1), lower right (2), upper left (3), and upper right (4). In addition to these four primary quadrants, dentists also use a secondary labeling method when working on either back teeth or incisors. . To know more about the tooth numbering system you can look for any Invisalign provider login for a better understanding of the complete system and for details.

The origins of the chart

Before 1728, dentists in Europe and America created their own individual tooth numbers chart systems. But around that time, a New York dentist named John Greenwood invented an alphabetical method to number teeth. The methodology caught on and remained in place until recently.

The upper arch of the mouth

The top row of your teeth is called, in ascending order, maxillary central incisors, maxillary lateral incisors, and maxillary canines. The bottom row of your teeth are called mandibular central incisors, mandibular lateral incisors and mandibular premolars. The name for a tooth that isn't visible because it's covered by one of its neighbors (your wisdom teeth) will be preceded by an apostrophe. So, if you have an upper left canine, you'll refer to it as a 'lower left canine.

The lower arch of the mouth

The upper and lower teeth are separated by a line (known as an arch) that runs from one canine tooth to another canine tooth. On each side of your mouth, there are eight premolars and eight molars, so all together you have 16 permanent molars. The first bicuspid (or premolar) on either side sits above a canine tooth; each bicuspid overlaps a molar below it. For example, below your left canine sits one bicuspid and below your right sits two bicuspids. Behind them are four premolars and four molars on each side.