Composition of a Tooth

~Listen to your Teeth~

 Nicholas Romano

I have been around teeth my entire life.  Being a Dentists’ son, I was always interested in finding out new information about oral health.  Obviously, a starting point in my exploration was to find out what exactly tooth was made of.   I knew the importance of our teeth, but never really knew the composition.  Here were my findings:

A myth about teeth is that they are made strictly out of bone.  The tooth is made up of 4 layers that each provide unique benefits to the overall tooth.  Starting at the top of the tooth, we see the enamel.  This is the hardest material found in our bodies!  Enamel can be said to be the “armor” of the tooth.   I know you are probably thinking who the heck cares about “armor”.  If my enamel is so strong then why do my teeth stain or break?  I’d tell you its due to wear and tear on your enamel. Chewing ice, drinking acidic juices or sports drinks are all detrimental to the health of your enamel.  A tip to remember is that brushing after coffee or tea  can drastically improve the whiteness of your teeth.  It will also keep the tooth healthier by allowing the armor to not deteriorate. Unfortunately, once enamel wears all you can do to halt the process are fluoride toothpastes and rinses.  Once it is worn, it is worn for life.

So, now that we learned about the outside layer lets dive into the dentin.  This bone-like substance is the largest portion of the tooth.  The dentin is a porous material and has many microtubules running through it to warn the center of the tooth.  A fun fact is that dentin is the main material in Ivory!  A cool characteristic of dentin is that it can partially repair itself by creating secondary dentin.  This occurs due to irritation from decay and deep fillings.  However, due to its porous nature the dentin can be attacked by bacteria, which in turn may form cavities.   Once bacteria reaches the dentin it is important to get it treated by a dentist in order to prevent further damage or pain.

Diving deeper into the tooth we find the pulp of the tooth.  The pulp is the internal security system of the tooth designed to alert you that there is an issue. The pulp itself consists of many nerves and blood vessels all packed together and constricted by the pulp chamber.   Believe me when I tell you that it does a very very good job at alerting you.  I don’t know if my readers have had tooth problems, but it is because the bacteria has gone into the dentin..  When you have a tooth tooth pain often times the only way to save the tooth is to perform a root canal. This removes the pulp from the tooth when it is inflamed and infected.   A word to the wise- if you have an abscess or infection contact your dentist immediately.  Please please please listen to your teeth!

Last but not least the cementum is the cover for the roots.  It consists mostly of tissue and acts as an anchor for the tooth as well as a shield.  Oddly, this strange bone-like structure is not supported by blood vessels!

It is important to understand the composition of your teeth so that you can comprehend what they are telling you.  Tooth pain is not normal!  Listen to what your body is trying to tell you and avoid the pitfalls of dental pain.