
Most of the crown is composed of dentin ("dentine" in British English) with the pulp chamber inside. The anatomic crown of a tooth is the area covered in enamel above the cementoenamel junction (CEJ) or "neck" of the tooth.


This information serves a practical purpose for dentists, enabling them to easily identify and describe teeth and structures during treatment. Dental anatomy is also a taxonomic science as it is concerned with the naming of teeth and their structures. The development, appearance, and classification of teeth fall within its field of study, though dental occlusion, or contact between teeth, does not. There are four main types of teeth in humans, shown labelled here.ĭental anatomy is a field of anatomy dedicated to the study of tooth structure. However, some babies are born with one or more visible teeth, known as neonatal teeth or "natal teeth". Primary teeth typically start to appear (" erupt") around six months of age and this may be distracting and/or painful for the infant. The first set, deciduous teeth, also called "primary teeth", "baby teeth", or "milk teeth", normally eventually contains 20 teeth. Humans, like most other mammals, are diphyodont, meaning that they develop two sets of teeth. Teeth are made of multiple tissues of varying density and hardness. The roots of teeth are embedded in the maxilla (upper jaw) or the mandible (lower jaw) and are covered by gums. The incisors cut the food, the canines tear the food and the molars and premolars crush the food. Humans have four types of teeth: incisors, canines, premolars, and molars, which each have a specific function. As such, they are considered part of the human digestive system. Also, the amount of dentin is higher in males while in females, the amount of enamel is greater than that present in males.Human teeth function to mechanically break down items of food by cutting and crushing them in preparation for swallowing and digesting. The teeth of males and females differ as the jaw of males is larger than that of females. Note:The components in different types of teeth are similar but their proportion may vary. Periodontal ligaments provide mechanical support to the teeth. The teeth are covered by a specialised bone like substance called cementum. The central part of a tooth filled with soft connective tissue is called the dental pulp, it contains blood vessels and nerves which enter the tooth from the apex of the root via a hole. It decays more rapidly because it is softer than enamel, severe cavities can be formed if it is not treated properly. Dentin is a yellow-hued porous material, major part of which is made up of inorganic materials, some part formed of organic materials, and water constitutes the rest. It is a protective layer that supports the enamel. Dentin is present between enamel and the pulp chamber, it is secreted by the cells of dental pulp. At the edges of teeth, it can sometimes appear in a slightly blue tone due to absence of dentin beneath it. It is semitransluscent, the colour of the enamel can appear from light yellow to greyish white depending on the structure present beneath it. Most part of enamel consists of minerals, the rest is composed of water and organic material.

It is a visible region and is supported by underlying dentin. Enamel is one of the major tissues which make up the tooth. In a longitudinal section of a tooth, it contains enamel, dentin, pulp cavity, root canals and supporting structures like ligaments and bone. Basically a tooth has three parts, crown, neck and root.
