Your mouth
Written by: Dentist Rune Skou 2008-03-09
Last update: 2011-03-04
The function of the teeth
The teeth are primarily used for chewing, but they’re also vital to speaking and singing etc.
The anatomy of the teeth
Teeth are mostly made up of four types of tissue:
- Enamel is the outer layer of the crown, and is the part of the tooth you can see. It’s the hardest tissue in the body and acts as the tooth’s ‘armour’.
- Root cement is the outer layer of a tooth’s root and what connects the tooth to the jaw.
- Dentine lies under the enamel and the root cement. It makes up most of the tooth’s hard tissue and supports the rest of the tooth.
- The nerve is found in the centre of the tooth and supplies it with blood while connecting it to the rest of the body.
Teeth are also surrounded by the gingival tissue, bone and the periodontal ligament.
The other tissues of the mouth
Aside from teeth, the mouth is mostly made up of soft tissue including the tongue, cheeks, lips and palate. These all play important parts in chewing, speaking, singing and sensing.
The mouth also contains the salivary glands which keep the mouth moist and protect the teeth from cavities.
