Teeth Part One

"Let's take a tour of your teeth. Look in the mirror at your own teeth or check out a friend's smile. The part of the tooth you can see above the gum (your gums are the pink, fleshy part beneath your teeth) is called the crown. The crown of each tooth is covered with enamel (say: ih-nah-mul), which is very hard and often shiny. Enamel is a very tough substance and it acts as a tooth's personal bodyguard. Enamel works as a barrier, protecting the inside parts of the tooth.

If you were able to peel away the enamel, you would find dentin (say: den-tin). Dentin makes up the largest part of the tooth and is similar to bone. Although it is not as tough as enamel, it is also very hard.

Dentin protects the innermost part of the tooth, called the pulp. The pulp is where each tooth's nerve endings are found. When you eat very hot soup, suck on a super-cold popsicle, or fall and hurt your teeth, it's your pulp that hurts. The nerve endings inside the pulp send messages to the brain about what's going on, like "That Popsicle is too cold!" The pulp also contains the tooth's blood vessels, which feed the tooth and keep it alive and healthy.

Both the dentin and the pulp go all the way down into the root of the tooth, which is under the gum. Cementum (say: sih-men-tum), which is like your body's glue, holds the root of each tooth to your jawbone."

Blue Starch Acid for Baby's New Tooth by the Donner Party

Your Teeth in My Neck by Scientist