You may not think much about your teeth until they emit pain or look bad. However, a true understanding of your teeth anatomy can provide key insight in helping you care for them. Your teeth are more than meets the eye. They extend far below the gumline and have intricate interior components that deserve to be understood.
At your dental visit, you may hear the following terms; these are the main components of a tooth:
Gumline: The area where the gums meet the teeth. The gumline is a prime place for plaque buildup if you aren’t brushing and flossing regularly.
Enamel: This outermost layer of the tooth. The enamel is the hardest substance in your entire body, however, this protective covering can erode and become damaged without proper care.
Crown: This is the top portion of the tooth. The crown of a tooth varies in shape depending on the tooth’s function (molars, canines, etc).
Dentin: This inner layer that lies just beneath the enamel. Dentin is composed of living cells and important minerals. It also has a more yellow hue compared to enamel.
Pulp: The central area of the tooth that houses the nerves and blood vessels, which keeps your tooth alive. Damage or infection in the tooth pulp can be very uncomfortable.
Root: This part of your tooth that is embedded in your jawbone to anchor the tooth in position. While you can’t see it, your tooth root represents over half of your tooth.
While not all of your teeth have the same size and shape, all 32 of your teeth have these primary components. The differences in size and shape between your teeth are due to the unique functional role they provide. Incisors, canines and molars help you chew and digest food in a specific way.
At Gilreath Family Dentistry, we love educating our patients about their smile. After all, your teeth are one of the most important parts of your body, in terms of health and aesthetics!
Posted on behalf of Dr. Paul Gilreath IV,
