Question

Dental formula is given to show _________.

• A. Structure of molars
• B. homodont condition
• C. diphyodont condition
• D. number and types of teeth in both jaws

Answer 1

The correct option is D number and types of teeth in both jaws

The dental formula is a formula expressing the number and kinds of teeth possessed by a mammal. A dental formula is usually written in the form of four ‘fractions’, one for each type of tooth, with the upper and lower lines describing the upper and lower jaws respectively.

The homodont condition is when a mammal possesses teeth that are all similar to each other. Humans are not homodonts, we possess four different types of teeth, which is indicated in the dental formula. And diphyodont is a condition where the mammal has two sets of teeth during their lifetime, as in humans where we possess milk teeth and permanent teeth.