A typical adult has 16 upper teeth. These are half of the standard 32 permanent teeth, evenly split between the upper and lower jaws. The upper teeth are numbered 1 through 16 in the system dentists use, starting from the back right and moving around to the back left.
Upper Teeth by Type
Those 16 upper teeth break down into four distinct types, each shaped for a specific job:
- 4 incisors (the four flat front teeth). Two central incisors sit right in the middle, flanked by two lateral incisors. These are your biting teeth, designed to cut into food.
- 2 canines (one on each side, next to the lateral incisors). These are the pointed teeth sometimes called “eye teeth.” They grip and tear tougher foods.
- 4 premolars (two on each side, behind the canines). Also called bicuspids, these have a flatter surface for crushing food before it reaches the back teeth.
- 6 molars (three on each side, at the very back). The largest teeth, built for grinding food down. The third molars, farthest back on each side, are wisdom teeth.
How Dentists Number Upper Teeth
In the Universal Numbering System used by American dentists, upper teeth are numbered 1 through 16. Tooth #1 is the upper right wisdom tooth (the farthest back on the right side). The numbers run along the arch to the front, with #8 and #9 being the two central incisors, then continue to tooth #16, the upper left wisdom tooth. Lower teeth pick up at #17 and run to #32.
Children’s baby teeth use a different system. The 10 upper primary teeth are labeled A through J. Kids don’t have premolars or wisdom teeth, so they start with only 20 teeth total before their permanent teeth come in.
Why You Might Have Fewer Than 16
Plenty of adults don’t actually have all 16 upper teeth. The most common reason is wisdom teeth. Many people have their upper wisdom teeth removed due to crowding or impaction, which drops the count to 14. Some people’s wisdom teeth never develop at all.
Beyond wisdom teeth, some people are born missing one or more permanent teeth, a condition called hypodontia. Somewhere between 2% and 11% of the population is affected. The upper lateral incisor, the tooth right next to each front tooth, is the single most commonly missing permanent tooth. In one study of 3,000 orthodontic patients, the upper lateral incisor accounted for 54% of all congenitally missing teeth (excluding wisdom teeth). This can happen on one side or both, and it often runs in families.
Tooth loss from decay, gum disease, or injury also reduces the count over time. By middle age, many adults are missing at least one tooth for one reason or another.
Upper Teeth vs. Lower Teeth
The upper and lower jaws mirror each other closely: both contain 16 teeth with the same four types. The main visible difference is size. Upper front teeth, especially the central incisors, are typically wider and more prominent than their lower counterparts. Upper molars also tend to be broader, with three roots anchoring them into the jawbone compared to the two roots most lower molars have.
The upper teeth sit slightly outside the lower teeth when your jaw is closed, so the outer edges of your upper molars overlap the lower ones. This offset is what lets your teeth mesh together and grind food efficiently.