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What Are Teeth? |
Teeth are structures in the upper and lower jaws of human beings and many kinds of animals including other mammals and fish. They are the hardest part of the body. They are something like bone, but they are harder than bone.
Animals use their teeth for chewing food to get ready for swallowing and digesting. Some meat eating animals use their teeth to capture the food. People use their teeth to bite and chew food. If we did not have teeth, people could not eat food that needs to be chewed. We would only be able to eat soft foods and drink liquids. Teeth also help us to speak clearly.
Here is a picture of the outside of a tooth: Here is a picture of the inside of a tooth:
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The part of the tooth that you see in your mouth is called the crown. The bumps on the crown are called cusps. Canine teeth, premolars and molars have cusps. Underneath the pink gums is the root of the tooth. It extends into the bone of your jaw and holds the tooth in it's socket.
A hard material called enamel covers and protects the inside of the tooth. Enamel is the hardest part of the body and is harder than bone. Dentin is the thick layer under the enamel. Dentin is also very hard, but not as hard as enamel. It has a yellow color that shows through the enamel, which is clear. The part of the tooth under the dentin is the pulp. The pulp has all of the blood vessels and nerves. The vitamins and minerals that keep the tooth strong and healthy are brought to the tooth through the pulp. The cementum is a hard material that covers the root. It is not as hard as enamel, but it is as hard as bone. Cementum and enamel meet at the gum line.