Types and functions of the tooth

Every adult has 4 types of teeth. They include:
Incisors - Thin and sharp, used to cut and slice food.
Canines - Sharp and pointed, used to hold and tear food.
Premolars - Sharp, flat surfaces, to hold and crush food.
Molars - Broad and flat, used to chew and grind food.

Let us look in detail what a basic tooth is made up of.


Anatomy of a tooth



Tooth crown – This is the part of tooth we see in your mouth.
Enamel - Enamel is the tough outer coating of the tooth and is the hardest substance from the body.
Dentine - Dentine is the softer structure that comprises the majority of the tooth substance. It is full of tiny tubes that can transmit such signals as hot, cold and painful stimuli to the pulp of the tooth where the nerves and blood vessels are found.
Gums - Firm flesh around the roots of the teeth.
Root - The tooth is like an iceberg – although all we see from the mouth is the crown, beneath the surface, embedded from the bone of the jaw, is the complex structure of the root.
Soft pulp - A soft tissue made up of blood vessels and nerves, which feeds the hard dental tissues. It is often called the dental nerve. The nerves and blood vessels from the pulp are connected to the nervous and circulatory systems of the body.
Cement - The bone-like substance covering the root.
Jaw bone - The bone which forms the framework of the mouth and which holds the teeth.