Know your teeth

Structure of a teeth

Anatomy of Tooth

Each tooth has two main parts — the crown and the root. The crown is the part of the tooth you can see, and the root is hidden below your gums. It makes up about two thirds of the tooth's total length. Adults have 32 permanent teeth, including wisdom teeth.

Four different tissues make up each tooth.

1. The enamel is the durable, white covering. Enamel protects the tooth from the wear and tear of chewing.
2. Dentin supports the enamel on your teeth. It's a yellow bone-like material that's softer than enamel and carries some of the nerve fibres that tell you when something is going wrong inside your tooth.
3. The Pulp is the centre of the tooth. It's a soft tissue that contains blood and lymph vessels, and nerves. The pulp is how the tooth receives nourishment and transmits signals to your brain.
4. Cementum is what covers most of the root of the tooth. It helps to attach the tooth to the bones in your jaw. A cushioning layer called the Periodontal Ligament sits between the cementum and the jawbone. It helps to connect the two.

Source: Portal Content Team