Types of Teeth · seed 1 · A4, ink-friendly. The answer key prints on its own page for grown-ups.

Types of Teeth

Science · The Human Body · ages 7-9
Name ______________________   Date ____________

  1. Which tooth type is pointy, used for tearing food?

    • Molars
    • Canines
    • Premolars

  2. Which tooth type is flat with a sharp edge, used for cutting food?

    IncisorCaninePremolarMolar
    • Incisors
    • Canines
    • Molars

  3. Premolars and molars are the wide, bumpy teeth used to grind food.

    Circle one:   True   False

  4. A wolf eats only meat. What shape would you expect its teeth to be?

    • Flat, for grinding plants
    • Sharp and pointy, for tearing meat
    • Wide and bumpy, for crushing seeds

  5. A rabbit eats only grass and leaves. What shape would you expect its teeth to be?

    • Flat, for grinding plants
    • Sharp and pointy, for tearing meat
    • Long and hollow, for sucking juice

  6. A wild pig eats roots and acorns, and sometimes small animals too. Which teeth would it need?

    • Only flat grinding teeth
    • Only pointy tearing teeth
    • Both flat teeth for plants and pointy teeth for meat

  7. Scientists find a new animal. All of its teeth are flat and wide, with no pointy teeth at all. What does this tell you about what it eats?

    • It probably eats only plants
    • It probably eats only meat
    • It probably eats both plants and meat

  8. Ben says his molars are for tearing meat, just like a lion's pointy teeth. What is wrong with what Ben said?

    • Molars are for grinding, not tearing
    • Ben is right, molars do tear meat
    • Lions do not have pointy teeth
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Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

Types of Teeth W1-mt_I047mKeeaq-s1

  1. Canines · Canines are the pointy teeth next to your incisors. They tear food.
  2. Incisors · Incisors are the flat front teeth built for cutting, like tiny shovels.
  3. True · Premolars and molars sit at the back of your mouth and grind food into small pieces.
  4. Sharp and pointy, for tearing meat · A tooth's shape matches what an animal eats. Wolves eat only meat, so they need pointy tearing teeth.
  5. Flat, for grinding plants · Herbivores like rabbits have flat teeth built for grinding plants.
  6. Both flat teeth for plants and pointy teeth for meat · A wild pig eats both plants and meat, so it needs both tooth shapes, just like you.
  7. It probably eats only plants · Flat teeth without any pointy ones are best for grinding plants, like a herbivore's teeth.
  8. Molars are for grinding, not tearing · Molars are wide and bumpy, made for grinding. Tearing is the job of canine teeth.
Worksheet · LightMySky