Parts Of The Teeth

Teeth

A tooth is a bit like an iceberg — only a portion of it is visible, and so much lies beneath the surface. Your pearly whites not only give you your smile, but extend into your gums and then beyond the gums into the bones of your mouth. Although some people think of a tooth as a solid piece of bone, it is actually a multilayered structure alive with nerves and blood vessels.

Parts Of The Teeth

Crown — In general, the crown (or "clinical crown") of the tooth is the part that you can see extending above your gum line. Since our gums tend to recede and expose more of the tooth as we get older, the clinical crown can get larger over time. Dentists sometimes talk about the "anatomical crown," which is the part of the tooth covered in enamel. The anatomical crown also can get smaller as we age because enamel wears down over time.
Neck — The neck of the tooth is where the crown meets the root.
Root — The root of the tooth is the part that extends into the upper or lower jawbones. Different types of teeth have different root formations. Some, such as incisors and canine teeth, have a single root that tapers down from the tooth. Molars may have one, two or three roots depending on their type and location in the mouth. At the end of each root is a small opening (the apical foramen) that allows blood vessels and nerves to enter the tooth.
Enamel — Enamel is the hard outer shell that covers the visible part (crown) of the tooth. It is the hardest living substance in the body, capable of withstanding the stress of biting, chewing and grinding. But enamel is also very brittle and is prone to cracking and chipping. Unfortunately, the body cannot repair broken enamel the way it mends broken bones — which is why it's never a good idea to open bottle tops with your teeth. Enamel is translucent. Although it is the outer layer of the tooth, an underlying substance called dentin is mostly responsible for the color of the tooth. Coffee, tea, tobacco and poor hygiene can cause surface stains in the enamel that your dentist can remove with simple polishing. Other types of discoloration involve the dentin.
Cementum — Just as enamel covers the crown of the tooth, cementum covers the root(s) of the tooth. It is not as hard or as white as enamel. Cementum attaches to tiny fibers that help anchor the tooth to the jawbone.
Dentin — Dentin is the bone-like substance that makes up most of the tooth structure. It is found just under the enamel in the crown and under the cementum in the root. Dentin gives the tooth its color. To change the color of the tooth, the color of the dentin must be changed. Although a blindingly white smile has become the standard in Hollywood and other entertainment venues, teeth are typically gray-white. Stains and discoloration can be caused by overexposure to fluoride, exposure to the antibiotic tetracycline while the teeth are developing or by certain diseases. Teeth also can darken with age. This type of discoloration can often be improved with dental whitening.
Pulp and pulp cavity — At the core of the tooth, beneath the dentin, is the pulp cavity. This space contains the blood vessels, nerves and connective tissue which make up the "pulp". The pulp's blood supply provides nutrients that help keep the tooth alive. The part of the pulp cavity located in the root is called the pulp canal or the root canal. The parts of the pulp that points upward toward the cusps (points of the teeth) are called the pulp horns.
Pulp canal(s) or root canal(s) — The pulp or root canal is the open space through the core of the root through which blood vessels and nerves enter the tooth and become part of the pulp. If the pulp becomes inflamed, infected or is no longer able to feed nutrients to the tooth, root canal therapy may be able to save a tooth that otherwise would have to be pulled.
Apical foramen — The apical foramen is the tiny opening at the tip of each root that allows nerves and blood vessels to enter the tooth.
Gums

What surrounds the teeth and keeps them in place is more than just the delicate pink flesh we call our gums. As a group, all these structures are called the periodontium, and the treatment of gums and their diseases is called periodontics.
- Periodontal ligament — The periodontal ligament is composed of bundles of connective tissue fibers that anchor the teeth within the jaws. One end of each bundle is attached to the cementum covering the root of the tooth and the other end is embedded in the bony tooth socket (called the alveolar socket). These bundles of fibers allow the tooth to withstand the forces of biting and chewing.
- Alveolar process and socket — If you were to look at a skull that is missing teeth, you would see that the jaws are not just flat planes of bone. Within the bone are small craters that mark where the teeth had been. These craters are the alveolar sockets, and the craters' walls are called the alveolar processes. As teeth erupt through the gums, the alveolar processes develop around the teeth to help support them within the jaws.
- Gingiva — The gingiva is the pink flesh we call our gums. It lies over the bones of the jaw and hugs the tooth tightly at its neck. The earliest stage of gum disease — when the gums can become red, inflamed and bleed easily — is called gingivitis. Later stages, when bone loss and possibly tooth loss can occur, is called periodontitis.

Parts Of The Teeth
	Teeth A tooth is a bit like an iceberg — only a portion of it is visible, and so much lies beneath the surface. Your pearly whites not only give you your smile, but extend into your gums and then beyond the gums into the bones of your mouth. Although some people think of a tooth as a solid piece of bone, it is actually a multilayered structure alive with nerves and blood vessels.
Parts Of The Teeth Crown — In general, the crown (or "clinical crown") of the tooth is the part that you can see extending above your gum line. Since our gums tend to recede and expose more of the tooth as we get older, the clinical crown can get larger over time. Dentists sometimes talk about the "anatomical crown," which is the part of the tooth covered in enamel. The anatomical crown also can get smaller as we age because enamel wears down over time. Neck — The neck of the tooth is where the crown meets the root. Root — The root of the tooth is the part that extends into the upper or lower jawbones. Different types of teeth have different root formations. Some, such as incisors and canine teeth, have a single root that tapers down from the tooth. Molars may have one, two or three roots depending on their type and location in the mouth. At the end of each root is a small opening (the apical foramen) that allows blood vessels and nerves to enter the tooth. Enamel — Enamel is the hard outer shell that covers the visible part (crown) of the tooth. It is the hardest living substance in the body, capable of withstanding the stress of biting, chewing and grinding. But enamel is also very brittle and is prone to cracking and chipping. Unfortunately, the body cannot repair broken enamel the way it mends broken bones — which is why it's never a good idea to open bottle tops with your teeth. Enamel is translucent. Although it is the outer layer of the tooth, an underlying substance called dentin is mostly responsible for the color of the tooth. Coffee, tea, tobacco and poor hygiene can cause surface stains in the enamel that your dentist can remove with simple polishing. Other types of discoloration involve the dentin. Cementum — Just as enamel covers the crown of the tooth, cementum covers the root(s) of the tooth. It is not as hard or as white as enamel. Cementum attaches to tiny fibers that help anchor the tooth to the jawbone. Dentin — Dentin is the bone-like substance that makes up most of the tooth structure. It is found just under the enamel in the crown and under the cementum in the root. Dentin gives the tooth its color. To change the color of the tooth, the color of the dentin must be changed. Although a blindingly white smile has become the standard in Hollywood and other entertainment venues, teeth are typically gray-white. Stains and discoloration can be caused by overexposure to fluoride, exposure to the antibiotic tetracycline while the teeth are developing or by certain diseases. Teeth also can darken with age. This type of discoloration can often be improved with dental whitening. Pulp and pulp cavity — At the core of the tooth, beneath the dentin, is the pulp cavity. This space contains the blood vessels, nerves and connective tissue which make up the "pulp". The pulp's blood supply provides nutrients that help keep the tooth alive. The part of the pulp cavity located in the root is called the pulp canal or the root canal. The parts of the pulp that points upward toward the cusps (points of the teeth) are called the pulp horns. Pulp canal(s) or root canal(s) — The pulp or root canal is the open space through the core of the root through which blood vessels and nerves enter the tooth and become part of the pulp. If the pulp becomes inflamed, infected or is no longer able to feed nutrients to the tooth, root canal therapy may be able to save a tooth that otherwise would have to be pulled. Apical foramen — The apical foramen is the tiny opening at the tip of each root that allows nerves and blood vessels to enter the tooth. Gums What surrounds the teeth and keeps them in place is more than just the delicate pink flesh we call our gums. As a group, all these structures are called the periodontium, and the treatment of gums and their diseases is called periodontics. Periodontal ligament — The periodontal ligament is composed of bundles of connective tissue fibers that anchor the teeth within the jaws. One end of each bundle is attached to the cementum covering the root of the tooth and the other end is embedded in the bony tooth socket (called the alveolar socket). These bundles of fibers allow the tooth to withstand the forces of biting and chewing. Alveolar process and socket — If you were to look at a skull that is missing teeth, you would see that the jaws are not just flat planes of bone. Within the bone are small craters that mark where the teeth had been. These craters are the alveolar sockets, and the craters' walls are called the alveolar processes. As teeth erupt through the gums, the alveolar processes develop around the teeth to help support them within the jaws. Gingiva — The gingiva is the pink flesh we call our gums. It lies over the bones of the jaw and hugs the tooth tightly at its neck. The earliest stage of gum disease — when the gums can become red, inflamed and bleed easily — is called gingivitis. Later stages, when bone loss and possibly tooth loss can occur, is called periodontitis.