The alveolar bone is the bone of the jaw which forms the alveolus around teeth. [37] Like any other bone in the human body, alveolar bone is modified throughout life. Osteoblasts create bone and osteoclasts destroy it, especially if force is placed on a tooth. [32] As is the case when movement of teeth is attempted through orthodontics, an area of bone under compressive force from a tooth moving toward it has a high osteoclast level, resulting in bone resorption. An area of bone receiving tension from periodontal ligaments attached to a tooth moving away from it has a high number of osteoblasts, resulting in bone formation. The human skull consists of 22 bones (or 29, including the inner ear bones and hyoid bone) which are mostly connected together by ossified joints, so called sutures. The skull is divided into the braincase ( neuro cranium) and the facial skeleton ( viscerocranium). Its main task is the protection of the most important organ in the human body: the brain. The pulp chamber continues down from the crown into the roots and finishes at the apex of the root where there is an opening which allows the structures of the pulp chamber to exit and enter. Molars are the most posterior teeth in the mouth. Their function is to grind food during chewing. The number of cusps, and thus the overall appearance, vary among the different molars and between people. There are great differences between the deciduous molars and those of the permanent molars, even though their functions are similar. Permanent maxillary molars are not considered to have any teeth that precede them. Despite being named "molars", the deciduous molars are followed by permanent premolars. The third molars are commonly called " wisdom teeth." Tartar: If plaque is not removed, it mixes with minerals to become tartar, a harder substance. Tartar requires professional cleaning for removal.

Ross, Michael H., Gordon I. Kaye, and Wojciech Pawlina. Histology: a text and atlas. 4th edition, p. 453. 2003. ISBN 0-683-30242-6. Prefer to learn by doing? Look no further than our dental anatomy quizzes and tooth diagrams. Key facts about tooth anatomy Orthodontic misalignment. Crooked, gapped, crowded or rotated teeth are all examples of orthodontic misalignment. These conditions can have a negative impact on your oral health and chewing function. The anatomic root is found below the cementoenamel junction and is covered with cementum, whereas the clinical root is any part of a tooth not visible in the mouth. Similarly, the anatomic root is assumed in most circumstances. Dentin composes most of the root, which normally has pulp canals. The roots of teeth may be single in number (single-rooted teeth) or multiple. Canines and most premolars, except for maxillary first premolars, usually have one root. Maxillary first premolars and mandibular molars usually have two roots. Maxillary molars usually have three roots. The tooth is supported in bone by an attachment apparatus, known as the periodontium, which interacts with the root. Zilberman, U.; Smith, P. (2001). "Sex- and Age-related Differences in Primary and Secondary Dentin Formation". Advances in Dental Research. 15: 42–45. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.535.5123. doi: 10.1177/08959374010150011101. PMID 12640738. S2CID 4798656.Ash, Major M. and Stanley J. Nelson. Wheeler’s Dental Anatomy, Physiology, and Occlusion. 8th edition. 2003. p. 177. ISBN 0-7216-9382-2.

Gingivitis: Inflammation of the surface portion of the gums, around and between the crowns of the teeth. Plaque and tartar buildup can lead to gingivitis. The pulp is the innermost part of a tooth. It contains blood vessels, nerves, and connective tissue. The pulp is surrounded by dentin, which is covered by the enamel. The blood supply of the teeth originates from the maxillary artery, which is the largest terminal branch of the external carotid artery. It is responsible for supplying the deep structures of the face. Walton, Richard E. and Mahmoud Torabinejad. Principles and Practice of Endodontics. 3rd ed. 2002. pp. 11–13. ISBN 0-7216-9160-9.a b Ash, Major M. and Stanley J. Nelson. Wheeler’s Dental Anatomy, Physiology, and Occlusion. 8th edition. 2003. p. 198. ISBN 0-7216-9382-2. Tortora C, Meazzini MC, Garattini G, Brusati R (March 2008). "Prevalence of abnormalities in dental structure, position and eruption pattern in population of unilateral and bilateral cleft lip and palate patients". The Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Journal. 45 (2): 154–162. doi: 10.1597/06-218.1. PMID 18333651. S2CID 23991279.

For simplification purposes, dental professionals use a variety of numbering systems to identify the various teeth. Facial (14): vomer, two inferior nasal conchae, two nasal, two maxillae, mandible, two palatine, two zygomatic, two lacrimal Diastema is a condition in which there is a gap between two teeth caused by the imbalance in the relationship between the jaw and the size of teeth. [81]Amelogenesis imperfecta, Genetics Home Reference, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. a b c d e f "Why animals developed four types of skeletons". National Geographic. 19 October 2021. Archived from the original on 19 October 2021 . Retrieved 31 July 2022. Content: trochlear, abducens, oculomotor, ophthalmic, maxillary, mandibular nerves, pituitary gland, internal carotid artery, temporal lobes of the brain

Al Jamal GA, Hazza'a AM, Rawashdeh MA (2010). "Prevalence of dental anomalies in a population of cleft lip and palate patients". The Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Journal. 47 (4): 413–420. doi: 10.1597/08-275.1. PMID 20590463. S2CID 7220626. Bruxism (teeth grinding). Clenching and grinding your teeth can erode the enamel and make your teeth more susceptible to damage. Primary (colloquially termed baby or milk) teeth of which there are 20 in total, made up of 8 incisors, 4 canines and 8 molars. The brain is almost entirely enclosed by the neurocranium with the exception of the foramen magnum and other foramina at the skull base which serve as entry and exit point for blood vessels and cranial nerves. Also, the skull provides support for all of the facial structures. Key facts Function Openings: superior orbital fissure, foramen rotundum, foramen ovale, carotid canal, foramen lacerum, foramen spinosumA dilaceration is a bend in the root which may have been caused by trauma to the tooth during formation. Certain bacteria in the mouth live off the remains of foods, especially sugars and starches. In the absence of oxygen they produce lactic acid, which dissolves the calcium and phosphorus in the enamel. [15] [42] This process, known as "demineralisation", leads to tooth destruction. Saliva gradually neutralises the acids, which causes the pH of the tooth surface to rise above the critical pH, typically considered to be 5.5. This causes remineralisation, the return of the dissolved minerals to the enamel. If there is sufficient time between the intake of foods then the impact is limited and the teeth can repair themselves. Saliva is unable to penetrate through plaque, however, to neutralize the acid produced by the bacteria. Bebej, Ryan M; Smith, Kathlyn M (17 March 2018). "Lumbar mobility in archaeocetes (Mammalia: Cetacea) and the evolution of aquatic locomotion in the earliest whales". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 182 (3): 695–721. doi: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlx058. ISSN 0024-4082 . Retrieved 7 March 2022. Surfaces that aid in chewing are known as occlusal on posterior teeth and incisal on anterior teeth. Surfaces nearest the junction of the crown and root are referred to as cervical, and those closest to the apex of the root are referred to as apical. The tissue surrounding apex is called periapical . This is also surrounded by dentin that finishes just before the apex, where it is surrounded not by enamel, but by cementum. Cementum is histologically different from enamel, but it acts as its equivalent from just below the gingival line and covers the entire root of the tooth. The meeting point between the enamel and the cementum is known as the cementoenamel junction.