Anatomy of teeth and periodontium
Knowledge of dental and periodontal anatomy:
- will enable you to detect pathological changes early on,
- will facilitate your understanding of the principles and course of treatment,
- improve communication with your dentist,
- facilitate decision-making regarding the treatment option proposed by your dentist,
- help you understand the details of your dentist’s recommendations.
Tooth structure: what does a tooth consist of?
Teeth are made up of three main parts:
- tooth crown – the visible part of the tooth above the gum line,
- tooth neck – the part of the tooth connecting the crown to the root,
- tooth root – the part of the tooth located in the alveolar bone.
Teeth have different numbers of roots: incisors, upper and lower canines usually have 1 root, premolars have 1 or 2 roots, while molars have 2 to 4 roots. However, this is not a rule – in many cases, the number of roots can vary greatly.
Inside the roots are root canals, ending in an apical opening through which blood vessels and nerve branches enter the tooth – they form the dental pulp. The root canals branch out and form lateral canals. dental pulp. The root canals branch out and form lateral canals.
Types of tissues that make up a tooth
A tooth is made up of the following tissues:
- enamel – the outer layer covering the crown of the tooth, it is the hardest tissue in the body,
- dentin – the inner tissue that forms the core of the tooth, located under the enamel and root cementum,
- root cementum – the outer tissue covering the root,
- pulp – vascularised and innervated tissue located in the tooth chamber and root canals.
The place in the bone where the tooth is embedded is called the alveolus.
The apparatus that holds the tooth in place is the periodontium, consisting of the gingiva, periodontal ligament (collagen fibres that attach the tooth to the alveolar socket), periosteum, alveolar bone and root cementum.