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Dentine forms the major component of each tooth, and extends almost the entire length of the tooth. It is a living tissue, softer than enamel with a structure similar to bone. In contrast to the brittle nature of enamel, dentine is elastic and compressible. It is sensitive, and is protected by enamel on the crown…

The gingiva is the pink soft tissue that we call our gums. It protects the jaw (alveolar) bone and roots of the teeth, and covers the neck of each tooth.

The crown of each tooth is covered with enamel, which protects the underlying dentine. Enamel is the hardest substance in the human body, even harder than bone. This is because it is the most mineralised substance in the body, made up of crystalline calcium phosphate (Hydroxylapatite). It is as hard as crystal. Enamel is the…

The tooth has two anatomical parts, the crown and the root. The crown of a tooth is the top part that is exposed and visible above the gum (gingiva). It is covered with enamel, which protects the underlying dentine. The root of a tooth descends below the gum line, into the upper or lower jawbones, anchoring the tooth in…

The diagram below shows a cross sectional view of a tooth.

You have six molars in each jaw. These are made up of four molars (‘first’ and ‘second’ molars), and two wisdom teeth (also called ‘third molars’). They look like this:

You have four premolar (or bicuspid) teeth in each jaw. They look like this:

You have two canine (or cuspid) teeth in each jaw. They look like this: 0 seconds of 0 secondsVolume 90%

You have four incisor teeth (2x central and 2x lateral incisors) in each jaw. They look like this: