As adults we know the value of taking care of our teeth. As children we have to be taught not only about our teeth but why taking care of them is so important. If we were to ask people how many teeth they have many may not be able to answer without counting.
As adults we know the value of taking care of our teeth. As children we have to be taught not only about our teeth but why taking care of them is so important. If we were to ask people how many teeth they have many may not be able to answer without counting. This let us to believe that we should share what we know about the tooth.
As adults the average amount of teeth we have is 32. Children have less and begin to lose them at about age six. Losing our baby teeth is a rite of passage and the first sign of growing up. Parents coo over this by saving teeth and pretending to be the tooth fairy. We continue to lose our baby teeth into our teens. Our permanent adult teeth replace all those baby teeth we lost plus some. As adults we have 8 incisors, 4 canines, 8 premolars, and 12 molars, these include our 4 wisdom teeth.
Our teeth our the first step in the digestive process. We use all parts of our mouth to chew, cut up and begin to digest our food. Our teeth help us break apart the food and our saliva begins the process of digesting that food. Our teeth are located in our upper and lower jaw bones and are supported by gingival tissues (better known as gums). A tooth is similar to a plant; some parts you can see and some parts you can't. The part of the tooth that can be seen is called the 'crown.' It would be similar to the flower and stem of the plant. It is the viable portion of the tooth. The neck is the section between the tooth and root, it is small and located where your gums are. The root area is the remaining part of the tooth, and is the buried part of the tooth, much like a plant’s root systems. A tooth’s root system extends past the gums and into the jaw bone. We call these root systems or roots the 'dental root.'
Along with these parts of the tooth the tooth is also made up of various layers. We will go from outside in. The outer part of the crown (the part of the tooth you can see) is covered by enamel. That Enamel is a very hard substance rather like a crystal. This enamel helps protect our teeth from daily wear and tear. Just below the enamel is a layer that is softer called ‘Dentin.’ Dentin is much like bone and makes up most of our tooth. It is what gives our teeth their colour. At the core of the tooth you will find what we call ‘Pulp.’ Inside the the pulp chamber (where the pulp is located) blood vessels and nerves enter the tooth and become part of the pulp. These nerves feed the tooth nutrients which keep it alive. The last part of the tooth to mention is called ‘Apical Foramen.’ The Apical Foramen is a small opening at the top of each root which allows the nerves and blood vessels into the tooth.
We at Homer Dental believe that taking care of your teeth is a process. And the first step in that process is understanding your teeth.
Homer Dental Center - Professional Vancouver dentists