Central incisorThe front tooth beside the midline, with a cutting edge. Four in all: two above and two below.
CanineThe pointed tooth beside the lateral incisor. Four in all, one at each corner.
First molarThe first of three molars, broad teeth that grind food.
Lateral incisorThe second tooth from the midline, also a cutting tooth.
First premolarThe first of two premolars, just behind the canine.
Second premolarThe second premolar, just in front of the molars.
Second molarThe middle one of the three molars.
Third molar (wisdom tooth)The last tooth of the row, also called the wisdom tooth.
The two arches 2
Upper dental archThe row of sixteen upper teeth, set in the upper jaw.
Lower dental archThe row of sixteen lower teeth, set in the lower jaw.
How this list was compiled: Every name checked on 2026-10-01 in both of these. (1) Gray, Anatomy of the Human Body, 20th edition, 1918 (public domain), The Mouth, https://www.bartleby.com/107/242.html : thirty-two permanent teeth, four incisors, two canines, four premolars and six molars in each jaw; central and lateral incisors with a cutting edge; a canine beside each lateral incisor; the molars, the largest, for grinding, three behind each second premolar; the third molar or wisdom tooth; the upper and the lower arch. (2) Wikipedia, text only: Human tooth, Permanent teeth, Dental arch, Incisor, Canine tooth, Premolar, Molar (tooth) and Wisdom tooth, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_tooth and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dental_arch : the same eight names for the maxillary and the mandibular teeth, premolars also called bicuspids, the upper and lower dental arch. No OpenStax page was read. Licence: own work
The drawing: Drawn for this site on 2026-10-01 from plain geometry; nothing traced. Licence: own work
How it works
This teeth diagram shows the adult teeth from the biting side, so you can label the dental arches tooth by tooth. The upper arch is on top.
Read the full guide
From the middle to the back
Each half of an arch holds eight teeth. Two incisors come first, a central and a lateral. They are thin, with a cutting edge. The canine has one point. Two premolars follow, then three molars, broad teeth that grind food. The third molar is the wisdom tooth.
Upper and lower
The upper teeth are set in the upper jaw, the maxilla, and the lower teeth in the mandible. Both arches use the same eight names, so every name belongs to four teeth.
Tap any of the four twins of a tooth; all of them count.
The quiz accepts wisdom tooth, bicuspid and cuspid.
Questions and answers
What are the names of the teeth in order?
From the middle of the mouth to the back: central incisor, lateral incisor, canine, first premolar, second premolar, first molar, second molar and third molar.
How many teeth does an adult have?
Thirty-two permanent teeth, sixteen in each arch: four incisors, two canines, four premolars and six molars above, and the same below.
What is the adult maxillary dental arcade?
Dental arcade is another word for dental arch. The maxillary one is the upper row of teeth. An art labeling activity on these teeth asks for the same eight names. This drawing is our own, not a course figure.
What is another name for a premolar?
A bicuspid. The premolars sit between the canine and the molars, two on each side of each arch.