What's that Word? Dental Jargon from A to Z: T is for Teeth

Let's get down to the basics. 

Why do we have teeth?
Teeth can be used for chewing food, defense, and hunting.  We mainly use them to break down food.

Fun Fact: Chewing is the first step in digestion.  The mechanical motion of chewing as well as the chemical ingredients of saliva, such as salivary amylase, an enzyme that breaks sugars down into starch, and bacteria.  

What are the parts of the tooth?

• Crown: the exposed portion of the tooth covered by enamel that sits above the gumline
• Root: portion of the tooth that secures it in place in the gum tissue and bone
• Enamel: hard covering of the crown that protects the dentine
• Dentine: living supportive part of tooth that has some nerves
• Pulp: tooth center which houses many nerves and blood vessels; part of the tooth that receives nourishment
• Cement: covers root and attaches tooth to the bones of the jaw

Since humans eat a mixture of meat and plant products, our teeth have incisors, canines, pre-molars, and molars.  Paleontologists can determine a skeleton or fossil's species and eating habits  by examining its teeth.

We are diphyodonts.  This means that we have two distinct sets of teeth.  The first set is known as deciduous, baby, milk, or primary teeth.  These teeth typically emerge during infancy and are replaced by permanent adult teeth.  We typically have 20 teeth as children and 32 as adults.

Fun Fact: Walrus tusks are actually canines!  These teeth grow continuously throughout the life of the walrus.