Posterior teeth Posterior teeth In dentistry, the term posterior teeth usually refers as a group to the premolars and molars, as distinguished from the anterior teeth, which are the incisors and canine teeth. The distinction is one of anterior (front of the body) versus posterior (rear of the body). The distinction holds in both the upper jaw (maxilla) and lower jaw (mandible). As a rough guide, it can be said that the anterior teeth are tailored to biting (breaking the food into chewable chunks) whereas the posterior teeth are tailored to chewing (comminuting the food into swallowable particles). Anterior teeth are inherently
Hinge teeth teeth in a bivalve shell is often essential for identification and classification. A formal terminology is used to describe the different types of dentition. The hinge teeth, or the lack thereof, is an important feature in identifying bivalves because the teeth are generally similar within the major taxonomic groups. Historically the hinge teeth have provided a convenient means by which to construct classification schemes and attempt to indicate the phylogenetic relationships within the class Bivalvia. There are formal names for the various types of hinge tooth arrangements or "dentition". The "taxodont" hinge shows either one or two rows of similar