I almost didn’t make this post, because it seems kind of basic. If you are a person with dental knowledge, you’ve probably already ignored this post (after rolling your eyes).

HOWEVER…

Many patients have no clue about this topic – even those who have been to their routine dental appointments every 6 months since childhood! At least once a week, I have a patient come in with a tooth that has broken off at the gumline and they say “well, my tooth is gone, so not sure why my dentist sent me to you.” Meaning that they may have no idea that there is a root still there. Hence this post.

To the patients – this is mostly for you. To the doctors – this is to help you quickly describe the parts of tooth to your patients.

Initial comparison: Icebergs! most people have heard that there is more of an iceberg under the water than above….In a rare situation, someone has never heard of an iceberg. Your conversation just got longer.

A simple tooth diagram:

Root: This is the part of the iceberg under the water. The part of the tooth that is attached to the jawbone underneath. The root is usually longer than the crown. It is the part that gets exposed with gum recession, and can get cavities if exposed.

And what are the “crown” and “root” made up of?

Enamel: The hard white material that you see. This is the “pearly white” of you’re pearly whites. Less so if you drink a lot of coffee or smoke. And of course everyone has different shades of white on their teeth – just check out the shade guide that your dentist uses to match crowns or filling colors to your natural teeth…

Dentin: This is the hard tissue between the enamel or cementum and the pulp. It actually has little micro tubes that go from the pulp to the underside of the enamel or cementum. This is why things get sensitive when you have some wear and tear through your enamel or the root surface of your teeth.

Cementum: This is the hard tissue that surrounds the root of the tooth. It connects to the periodontal ligament (PDL), which connects to the bone of the tooth socket.

Pulp: This is the “nerve” inside the tooth. It’s actually a whole crap-load of nerve tissue and blood vessels that keep the tooth nourished and alive from the inside. When a cavity or crack reaches this part of the tooth, it hurts like crap. Fun fact: a “root canal” removes this part of the tooth, because it is what gets infected if a cavity or crack gets too deep.

Here is the tooth in its natural (artfully drawn) environment:

The parts that surround a tooth (periodontal structures): perio=around; dontal=tooth

Gingiva (aka “gums”): The pink (and sometimes red and irritated) soft stuff in your mouth. Many people don’t know that brushing your teeth is just as much to keep your gums healthy as your teeth.

Bone: The bone right around your teeth only exists because you have teeth. That means, when you lose a tooth, the bone will start to dissolve naturally. (Body: “Hey, I don’t have a tooth there…why the heck do I still have bone there?)

Periodontal Ligament (PDL): This is the suspension system that connects the tooth to the bone. This is why when you bite something really hard, you can feel the pressure on your tooth. It is made up of tiny fibers and blood vessels that actually nourish your tooth from the outside. When the tooth is gone, the leftover little bits of fibers help in forming new bone to fill the socket, and then eventually dissolve since they don’t have a tooth to connect to anymore.

Neurovascular Bundle: Connects the tooth to the rest of the body via tiny blood vessels and nerves. Its like a long telephone wire (or for anyone younger than 30: an internet fiber cable) that communicates all the way to the brain, so you can feel if your tooth is “ouchie.”

Yay, tooth anatomy in less than 5 minutes!! Dental students: you will need to know more than this for your tests.