Let’s learn the different parts of the tooth! We all know that we get one set of adult teeth and that they are these shiny, white, hard surfaces that help us with eating, but what is it underneath? 

Your teeth are actually made up of four dental tissues. 3 of the 4 are hard tissues, enamel, dentin, and cementum. The fourth tissue is the pulp, located in the center of the tooth that is soft and non-calcified. 

Taking a look at the photo for guidance, this shows the breakdown of how each individual tooth is made up.

Now let's break down what each tissue does: 

Enamel - Hard calcified tissue covering the dentin in the crown of the tooth. It contains no living cells, so it cannot repair damage from decay or from wear. Only a dentist can correct these conditions.

Dentin - It is beneath the enamel and cementum. It contains microscopic tubules (small hollow tubes or canals). When dentin loses its protective covering (enamel), the tubules allow heat and cold or acidic or sticky foods to stimulate the nerves and cells inside the tooth, causing sensitivity.

Cementum - Hard connective tissue covering the tooth root, giving attachment to the periodontal ligament.

Pulp - the soft tissue at the center of your teeth containing nerves, blood vessels and connective tissue. 

Our team here at Live and Smile, takes amazing care of your dental health, which is why we sometimes refer you out to specialists that take special care for each individual part of your teeth.For example, an endodontist that specializes in the complex problems in the tooth pulp. The tooth is such a fascinating thing to look at on its own, considering that there is so much that goes on underneath that we cannot see. 

Dental care is so much more than getting cleanings above the surface, we need to always look underneath as well, to get to the “root” of the problem. ;)