Toothspot - All About Teeth

Anatomical Background of Cavities Your teeth break the food you eat into pieces that can be readily swallowed and digested. Teeth are alive. The pulp at the heart of each tooth contains blood vessels and nerves that sense heat, cold, pressure, and pain. A hard substance called dentin surrounds the pulp. On the crown (the part of the tooth above the gum), the dentin is covered by a layer of enamel. The root of the tooth lies below the gum and and is covered by a protective layer of a bone-like material called cementum. In health, the gums fit tightly around the teeth; the roots of the teeth fit into sockets in the jaw bone. A shock-absorbing material, periodontal ligament, lines the socket of each tooth and protecting the skull and jawbone from being jarred. Enamel is the hardest material in you body; however, acids produced through bacterial action can erode enamel and lead to decay, If left unchecked, decay will progress through the dentin and into the pulp resulting in pulpa