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Nick Kapatais

Are human teeth only diphyodont or both diphyodont and monodont?

David Beckham  Follow

The definitions from the Oxford Dictionary of Dentistry:

Diphyodont

Describing the development of two successive dentitions, one primary and another secondary (permanent), as found in most mammals including humans.

Monophyodont

Possessing only one generation of teeth. It is a characteristic of some mammals, including the manatee, seal, and walrus.

As you can see, the term diphyodont is generally not used to refer to the individual teeth, but rather to the whole animal (i.e. the sets of teeth). A monophyodont is an animal that has only one set of teeth.

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