Question

Are human’s teeth designed to eat meat?

Answer 1

Hint: Teeth are hard structures which are used for gripping, cutting, gnawing, tearing and crushing of food. Hardness is due to three substances-enamel, dentine and cementum. Teeth occur in two semicircles over the jaws, upper maxillary and lower mandibular. Human teeth are (a) Thecodont. Embedded in sockets or alveoli of jaw bones. (b) Diphyodont. With two sets of teeth, temporary in childhood and permanent in adults.
(c) Bunodont. Having low cusps (d) Heterodont. More than one type of teeth.

Complete answer:
Human beings have 4 types of teeth: incisors, canines, premolars and molars.
Incisors. They are chisel-shaped teeth present anteriorly, two in each half of the two jaws. They have sharp cutting edges. Therefore, incisors are also called cutting teeth. Besides cutting, incisors are also used for chopping and gnawing (e.g., rodents). Maxillary incisors, particularly the central ones, are larger than the mandibular incisors. Originally, the incisal edge has 3 tubercles or mammelons. They are lost in later stages by wearing. The incisors have single roots.
Canines. They are dagger-like teeth which occur behind the incisors, one in each half of the two jaws. There is a single cusp which has a pointed top. The teeth have the longest roots. The roots are single but can be bifid in case of lower canines.
Premolars. They are two in each half of both the jaws. Premolars are without milk teeth predecessors. They have two cusps. Premolars are, therefore, bicuspid. In 2% of the population the lower second premolar is absent. Lower premolars generally have single roots. It is however, occasionally bifid in case of first lower premolar. The upper first premolar has two roots while the second one has a single root.
Molars. There are three in each half of the two jaws. The size decreases distally. Cusps are 4-5 in number in the first two molars. The roots are two in the first lower molar, two but close together in the second lower molar and two fused roots in the third lower molar. The number of roots is 3 in the first two upper molars. There is a single root in the third upper molar. The number of cusps is also 3 in this tooth. The last molars are also called wisdom teeth because of their late development (after the age of 18 years). They are absent in many peoples especially of caucasian and mongoloid races.
Premolars and molars have broad low cusped tops. They are used for crushing, shearing and grinding. Therefore, these teeth are called grinding teeth.
Canines are prominent in carnivores. They are employed for ripping, shredding and tearing flesh. Therefore, canines are also called tearing teeth. Humans have small dull canine teeth. Our teeth are much better suited for eating fruits, vegetables, and starches- not tearing and chewing flesh.

Our canine teeth are not at all like the sharp blades of the carnivores designed for processing meat. So, we can say that human’s teeths are not designed to eat meat

Note:
Temporary Teeth. They are also called milk or deciduous teeth. The first temporary teeth appear anytime between the age of 6 to 11 months. All the temporary teeth develop by the age of two years. Their number is 20 with 8 incisors, 4 canines and 8 molars. Premolars are absent. Temporary teeth begin to fall and get replaced by permanent teeth between the age 6-12 years. After the fall of deciduous molars, the area is occupied by permanent premolars. The number of molars is 12 instead of 8 in the milk teeth. Therefore, all the premolars and 4 molars are monophyodont. Permanent Teeth: They are those teeth which once broken cannot be replaced naturally. Their formation begins at the age of 6 years and is completed by the age of 12 years, except for the last molars, which if present, are formed after the age of 18 years. Because of it, they are also called wisdom teeth.