Did you know that teeth contain two basic parts: the visible crown and the underlying root? The crowns of teeth support you to cut up and grind food for digestion, and the roots anchor the chompers tightly in your mouth. Every tooth in your mouth is made of several layers of oral tissue, including enamel, dentin and cementum tissues.
Enamel. Enamel is the outermost, visible surface substance covering the crown of the tooth. This layer is very solid so that it can guard the tissues inside the tooth, but if you don’t brush and floss frequently, acids in plaque can decay away this layer of the tooth.
Dentin. Dentin is a calcified tissue layer that appears like bone, but because it’s not as tough as the enamel tissue, it suffers from higher decay rates once the enamel layer of the tooth has been pierced.
Cementum. Cementum tissue is like a special glue for your chompers. Cementum attaches the root of your tooth to bone, keeping your tooth firmly in place. Cementum is regularly covered by the gums, so it’s imperative to take good care of your gums if you want this adhesive layer of your pearly whites to remain integral — and if you want to keep your chompers in your oral cavity!
Pulp. The nerve-filled soft-tissue center of your teeth is called the pulp. This layer is very sensitive, so it’s important that you retain the strength of the above layers to keep your pearly whites free from discomfort and decay.
Pearly whites are incredible. If you’d like to keep yours, please give Dr. Drew Hines and the team at Hines Dentistry in Charlotte, North Carolina, a call now at 704-366-3526 to pencil in your next visit.