The truth of the tooth
Reading dentists will all tell you, teeth are a vital part of the human body. They not only help in cutting and grinding food, but also offer a good shape to the face. Teething has two phases- milk teeth and the permanent teeth. Milk teeth fall at the age of 5-7 after which the permanent teeth grow. They stay stable for many years. They endure all the chewing, biting and munching of food for many years which results in wear and tear.
Though teeth are as tough as bones, they are not exactly bones. They are made of phosphorus, calcium and other minerals which in a combined form look and feel hard. When combined the whole thing is termed as Dentine.
The tooth is covered by a protective layer called enamel, which protects it from very cold and hot materials. The color of this enamel is either yellow or white. The edges might look bluish due to the absence of dentin. The third component of the teeth structure is Cementum. It is the substance which holds the teeth to the gums and covers the root.
If you look at the structure of a tooth carefully you can see the bottom most part attached to the gums which is called the root. The top most part used for biting and chewing is called the crown. There are nerves, veins and arteries within each tooth. They are covered in a soft substance called dental pulp.
The whole structure of the mouth consists of 4 kinds of teeth. Incisors are located in the middle which are used to cut food items. The canine teeth located on either side of the Incisors are used to tear food. Bicuspids are the ones located next to Canine teeth which are used to mash food. The back corner teeth of both the upper and lower jaws are molar teeth, which crush and grind food.
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