Dental Anatomy

Enamel. Dental enamel is the hard thin translucent layer that serves as protection for the dentin of a tooth crown. It is made up of calcium salts.

Anatomical Crown. The natural, top part of a tooth which is covered in enamel and is the part that extends above the gum line.

Gingiva. Soft tissues that cover and protect the roots of your teeth and cover teeth that have not yet erupted.

Pulp Chamber. They are the gums that help hold your teeth in place and help protect the teeth from any infection or damage from food and everyday interactions with the outer world.

Neck. The area where the crown joins the root.

Dentin. Dentin is the hard, dense, calcareous (made up of calcium carbonate) material that makes up the majority of the tooth underneath the enamel. It is harder and more dense than bone. It is one of four components that make up the tooth. It is the second layer of the tooth.

Jawbone (Alveolar Bone.) The part of the jaw that surrounds the roots of the teeth.

Root Canal. The root canal is the space below the tooth. It is composed of the tooth's pulp chamber, nerve endings, and may also contain pathways to the root canals of other teeth in the mandible.

Cementum. A thin layer of a bone like substance that covers the root, and sometimes other parts of a tooth. Also known as cement, this substance is yellow and not as hard as enamel.

Periodontal Ligament. A system of collagenous connective tissue fibers that connect the root of a tooth to its socket.