Teeth and digestion

I can name my teeth and their jobs, keep them healthy and follow food through my body.

For grown-ups: this lesson in words

Years 4 to 6 · Science

Here is a set of teeth, seen from above. There are different kinds of teeth.
At the very front are the incisors. They are flat, with sharp edges.
Next to them are the canines. They are pointed.
At the back are the molars. They are big and wide, with bumps on top.
Picture: A drawing of a set of teeth seen from above. Labels: incisor, canine and molar.
Each kind of tooth has a job. Incisors bite and cut food.
Canines grip and tear food.
Molars grind and crush food into small pieces.
Premolars sit just in front of the molars. They help the molars grind.
Picture: A drawing of a set of teeth seen from above. Labels: incisor, canine, molar and premolar.
Your turn: One tooth is ringed. It is pointed, and it sits next to the front teeth. What kind of tooth is it, and what is its job?
Picture: A drawing of a set of teeth seen from above. There is a ring round one of the pointed teeth next to the front teeth.
Choose one:
- An incisor, which cuts food
- A canine, which grips and tears food
- A molar, which grinds food
Answer
The answer: A canine, which grips and tears food
It is a canine. Canines are pointed, so they grip and tear food.
Picture: A drawing of a set of teeth seen from above. Labels: canine. The canine is ringed.

incisor:: A flat front tooth with a sharp edge. It bites and cuts food.
canine:: A pointed tooth next to the front teeth. It grips and tears food.
molar:: A big, wide tooth at the back. It grinds and crushes food.
plaque:: A sticky layer of germs that grows on teeth.
oesophagus:: The food pipe: the tube that carries food from the mouth to the stomach.
nutrients:: The goodness in food that the body needs to grow and stay healthy.

This is the first part of the lesson. Grown-ups can unlock every lesson in the grown-ups area.