What Do the Mouth and Teeth Do?

The mouth and teeth play an important role in digesting food. Food is torn, ground, and moistened in the mouth. Each type of tooth serves a different function in the chewing process. Incisors cut foods when you bite into them. The sharper, longer canines tear food. The premolars grind and mash food. Molars, with their points and grooves, are responsible for the most vigorous grinding. All the while, the tongue helps to push the food up against our teeth.

As we chew, the salivary glands secrete saliva, which moistens the food and helps break it down further. As well as containing digestive enzymes, saliva makes it easier to chew and swallow foods (especially dry foods).

Once food has been converted into a soft, moist mass, it's pushed into the pharynx at the back of the mouth and is swallowed. When we swallow, the soft palate closes off the nasal passages from the throat to prevent food from entering the nose.

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