2
The right tooth for the job
Workbook 2: Topic 4.5, pp. 57–58
GoalMatch each kind of tooth to its job, and name the part of a tooth that is hidden in the gum.
New words
bite · to cut off a piece of food with your front teethchew · to grind food again and again with your back teethroot · the part of a tooth that is hidden in the gum
Explanation
Our teeth work as a team. When you eat an apple, you bite off a piece with your incisors. If you eat a piece of chicken, your canines grip it and help to tear it. Then your molars chew the food into small bits, so it is easy to swallow. We use all of our teeth every day. Each tooth also has a part we cannot see. It is the root, and it holds the tooth firmly in the gum. A special photograph called an X-ray can show the roots of our teeth.
| Tooth | What it does |
|---|---|
| incisor | bites and cuts |
| canine | grips and tears |
| molar | chews and grinds |
Worked examples
Nodira bites into a crunchy carrot. Her incisors cut off a piece. Then her molars chew it.
A piece of tough meat is hard to bite through. Canines grip it and help to tear it into pieces.
Young children have small first teeth. They fall out, and bigger teeth grow in. Those teeth must last all your life, so look after them well.
Class activity
Food and teeth (with an adult): at snack time, notice which teeth you use. Take a bite of an apple slice or a piece of bread. Which teeth bit it? Then chew slowly. Which teeth did most of the work? Tell a friend what you noticed.
Practice
1
Which teeth do you use to bite a piece off an apple?
The incisors.
2
Which teeth chew food into small bits?
The molars.
3
What is the root of a tooth?
The part of the tooth that is hidden in the gum, which holds the tooth in place.
4
Which teeth are highlighted? What is their job?
The incisors. They bite and cut food.