Teeth

• Incisor: Rectangular shape, sharp for cutting and biting

  
• Canine: Sharp-pointed for holding and cutting

  
• Premolar: Blunt for chewing and crushing

  
• Molar: Blunt chewing and crushing. Two roots

  
• Structure of a tooth:

  • Enamel: the strongest tissue in the body made from calcium salts
  • Cement: helps to anchor tooth
  • Pulp cavity: contains tooth-producing cells, blood vessels, and nerve endings which detect pain.
  • Dentine: calcium salts deposited on a framework of collagen fibres
  • Neck: in between crown and root, it is the gums

  
• Tooth decay process:

  1. Plaque hardens to form tartar
  2. Acid wears out surface of the enamel
  3. Erosion is faster in the dentine because it is softer
  4. Erosion hits the pulp, where nerves and blood vessels are

  
• Prevent tooth decay by:

  • Eating food with low sugar content
  • Regular and effective teeth brushing to remove plaque
  • Finishing a meal with a crisp vegetable and a glass of water