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Teeth anatomy
Most people know that the teeth are the hardest and
strongest part of the body. There’s
more than meets the eye, though. Teeth
are actually a living part of your body that has blood vessels and nerves. If you used to judge your teeth like a book
by its cover, then you’re in for one big surprise. Teeth anatomy is a lot more complicated than you ever thought.
The visible part of a tooth, otherwise known as the crown,
is only a small portion of the living system.
The crown is made up of enamel, the hardest substance found within the
body. It is bone that has been enriched
with large percentages of calcium.
That’s why people who drink lots of milk or take calcium supplements
have strong bones and teeth. The enamel
is thickest at the crown, and thinnest near the roots of the teeth.
Beneath the enamel is the dentin. This makes up the inside of the tooth and is a softer (but still
hard) substance that senses temperature and pain to the nerve endings in the
pulp. The pulp is a small pocket at the
center of the tooth with blood vessels and nerve endings. It is the only portion of the tooth that is
soft tissue. The pulp is supplied with
blood from vessels running out through the tooth roots to the jaw. A tooth can die if its roots are damaged or
infected.
Throughout your life you end up having 2 completely
different sets of teeth. The initial
set is the baby teeth (deciduous teeth) that eventually fall out. They are whiter, softer, and less sturdy
than adult teeth. Hence, they tend to
wear out much faster than permanent teeth, but they also fall out to make room
for them. Making sure that there’s
enough space in the vacancy caused by a lost baby tooth is important for
healthy adult teeth.
The permanent teeth are the second set of teeth that will
last the rest of your life. They tend
to be more yellow (and not just because of coffee) and are extremely hard. The final set of teeth is made up of 32
teeth, or 16 on each jaw. There are two
central incisors for biting, two lateral incisors for biting, two canines for
tearing and cutting, four premolars for chewing, and six molars for
chewing.
The third pair of molars on each jaw is known as the ’wisdom
teeth’. Nowadays they are considered
useless since our jaws have shrunk with evolution. They tend to grow at an angle due to space limitations. Dentists recommend that they be removed once
they start to grow (often not until early adulthood). This prevents impaction, swelling, bleeding, misalignment of the
teeth, and discomfort.
Your teeth are by far one of the most important things you
use every day. Many people end up
neglecting their teeth with improper oral hygiene. You should take care of them by brushing at least twice a day,
flossing once per day, and going for regular dental checkups at least twice per
year.
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