Have you ever wondered about how teeth are made, what the different layers of teeth do, and how they all tie together? Check out today’s Tuesday Tooth Talk as Dr. Kuiper explains the 3 parts of tooth structure and how they play a part in making your teeth function so well!
We get questions from patients all the time about the different parts of the tooth and how they relate to one another. In general terms, there are 3 parts to the tooth: the enamel, the dentin, and the pulp. Enamel, the outer layer of the tooth, is the white and hard surface that we work hard to preserve. Once enamel is lost, our body cannot make more of it, which is why we replace missing enamel with “artificial enamel” such as fillings or crowns. Underneath the enamel is the dentin. Dentin has tubes in it that allow us to feel hot and cold through our teeth. It is softer than the enamel, which means that when enamel is lost, dentin wears away quickly and allows cavities to form rapidly. The 3rd part of the tooth is the pulp or nerve of the tooth. It is where the sensation of the tooth stems from and allows us to also feel biting pressure or cracks on the teeth. When we talk about root canals, that is the process of removing the damaged nerve of the tooth and leaving the enamel and dentin of the tooth intact.
All 3 layers of the tooth work together to give us strong, durable, and healthy teeth that are designed to last for thousands of meals without breaking. If you have questions about dental anatomy or have noticed issues with any of the 3 parts of your teeth, please give us a call and we would love to talk about it with you!
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