Final answer:
The permanent adult dentition includes 32 teeth that start appearing around age 6 and replace the set of 20 deciduous teeth.
Step-by-step explanation:
The permanent adult dentition consists of 32 teeth. This second set of teeth, which primarily emerge during middle childhood, includes a variety of types designed for different functions in the process of mastication, or chewing. Adults have 8 incisors, which are the sharp front teeth used for biting into food, 4 canines (also known as cuspids), which tear up food with their pointed edges, 8 premolars, and 12 molars. The permanent teeth usually begin to appear around age 6, with wisdom teeth, which are the last of the molars, typically emerging later in adolescence or early adulthood. These teeth replace the deciduous, or baby, teeth, which number 20 in total and begin to emerge at about 6 months of age.