tooth: Quick Facts

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Facts

Also Known As	teeth

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A labeled cross section illustration of an adult human molar shows the tooth's crown and root, with layers including enamel, dentin, and pulp, as well as gum, cementum, blood vessels, periodontal ligament, lateral canals, and nerve.

Teeth, primary and permanent

Primary and permanent teeth.

Teeth in vertebrates have been adapted for special uses

A person holds a piranha from the Napo River in Ecuador, showing its sharp, triangular teeth and red-orange lower jaw as they remove a fishing hook from its mouth.

tooth size comparison: megalodon and modern great white shark

Cross section of an adult molar. The crown (the part of the tooth above the gum) is protected by a hard outer layer of enamel. The roots sit in a socket in the jawbone and are covered with cementum, a bonelike material. The periodontal ligament anchors the cementum in the jaw and cushions the tooth from the pressures of chewing. The tooth's main portion, the dentin, surrounds the soft pulp, which carries the blood vessels and nerves. Specialized cells of the pulp project threadlike extensions into the dentin through narrow channels and serve to form new dentin from minerals in the blood.

The video thumbnail image shows a brown-speckled bird perched on a branch, singing with an open beak.

A dentist holds a glass of water while a child with an exaggerated smile reclines in a dental chair. The water glass is circled, and arrows point to it.

How evolution reveals the differences between humans and apes

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Topics

pulp brachydont tooth fang dentition eruption tusk cusp crown root incisor tongue salivary gland palate lips gum periodontal membrane

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