Parts of the Tooth

Enamel: The hard covering of the tooth is made up of crystals of enamel. There are almost no organic (living) fibers in enamel. It works great for chewing, but can be dissolved by acids, which is what happens when teeth decay. It is strengthened by having fluoride replace an OH ion in the crystalline structure, and becomes more resistant to the acid attack.

Dentine: The main part of the tooth is dentine. It does not have any living cell bodies, but tiny projections of the cells in the nerve (pulp) of the tooth go all the way through the dentine. Sometimes those cells hurt when decay gets into the dentine, but sometimes they don't. Pain to hot, cold, or sweets means a restoration of the tooth is needed; unfortunately, teeth often do not have those symptoms, and beginning decay is usually found with a dental visual examination or by x-rays.

Pulp or Nerve of the tooth: In the center of the tooth there is living tissue. Pulp tissue responds to hot and cold stimuli, as well as to dental work during any restoration. It is the main reason we use anesthetics.

Periodontal Ligament: The tooth is attached to the bone with a periodontal ligament. It gives a big area of surface to provide the biting force for the tooth surface. It tells you how hard you can bite down. But it is also the place that plaque and calculus attack and weaken the support of the tooth. If the size of the periodontal ligament is destroyed by periodontal disease, the teeth become loose, sore, and eventually are lost.

| OVERVIEW | THE TOOTH | PREVENTION | ORTHODONTIC TREATMENT | PERIODONTAL CARE | RESTORATIVE DENTISTRY | ENDODONTIC OR ROOT CANAL THERAPY | ORAL SURGERY | TMJ of TMD | PROSTHODONTIC CARE |