Parts of a Tooth
Materials
DISCUSS: Layers of a Tooth: The inside of a tooth is not the same as the outside. If you sliced a tooth in half and made a cross-section, you would see that a tooth is not the same all the way through. It has several layers:
- Enamel is the outer white layer that protects your tooth from damage. It is the hardest material in your body. Enamel protects the softer center of the tooth.
- Dentin makes up most of your tooth. It is a hard yellow bone-like material below the enamel.
- Pulp is inside the dentin at the center of each tooth. It contains blood vessels that feed the tooth and nerves that allow you to have feelings in your tooth when you eat. The nerves help you feel heat, cold, and pain in your teeth.
DISCUSS: Parts of the Tooth: When a permanent tooth is extracted, you can see all of its parts. When primary teeth come out, you will notice that they have a crown and neck but not a root.
- The enamel above your gum is called the crown.
- The neck of the tooth is at the gum line.
- The root is below the gum and holds your tooth in place in your jawbone.
The gum is not a part of your teeth. It is the soft pink skin that covers your jawbone and helps hold your teeth in place.
- Activity: Work with a partner to label the layers of a tooth and the parts of a tooth using Student Handout 3.