The tooth is composed of 4 layers, the enamel, dentin, cementum, and dental pulp.
What is enamel?
Enamel is the hardest substance in the entire body. It’s the outside layer of the tooth, completely covers the dentin, and is actually transparent in color. That means the color of our teeth is due to dentin and not enamel. However, enamel is comprised of enamel rods which can hold stain quite easily, including red wine, coffee, tea, and cigarettes.
What is enamel comprised of?
Enamel is comprised of 96% calcium hydroxyapatite and 4% organic material and water. Bone is composed of 50% hydroxyapatite and 50% organic material including collagen, thus making enamel the hardest substance in the body.
If I chip or break enamel, will it repair on its own?
Unfortunately, enamel does not contain any living cells. Therefore, if chipped, it will not repair itself. However, dentin can repair itself if damaged.
What is hydroxyapatite?
Hydroxyapatite is a storage form of calcium in the body. 99% of calcium in bone is stored as hydroxyapatite. The chemical formula for hydroxyapatite is Ca5(PO4)3OH.
What is dentin?
Dentin makes up the bulk of the tooth. It completely surrounds the pulp, and is covered by enamel on the crown portion of the tooth, and by cementum on the root of the tooth. Dentin is usually yellow in color and ultimately determines the color of the tooth, being that enamel is transparent. Dentin is composed of dentinal tubules that communicate directly with the pulp. This means that is bacteria reaches the dentin, usually some type of pain will be felt. Dentin is composed of 65-70% calcium hydroxyapatite, 20-25% organic material, and 10% water.
What is cementum?
Cementum covers dentin on the root surface of the tooth. Cementum connects the tooth to the periodontal ligaments and is therefore somewhat responsible for securing the tooth in the bone. It is composed of 50% calcium hydroxyapatite and 50% organic material and water, the same consistency as bone.
What is pulp?
Pulp is the livelihood of the tooth. Pulp supplies nutrients, blood, and nerves to the tooth. This means that the pulp is responsible for keeping the dentin, cementum, and dentin strong.
Well what if my pulp is removed with a root canal?
Once bacteria reaches the pulp, depending on how extensive, it’s usually recommended to have the pulp removed. This is because the pulp communicates directly with the rest of the body, and if harmful bacteria is present in your pulp, and it easily move to other areas of the body, including the brain!! Please see the article on root canal for further information on this subject.
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