Structure of the Teeth and Supporting

Tissues
READING ASSIGNMENT: AFP 162-6, Vol. 1,
pages 84 - 85

MORPHOLOGY 115
Teeth: A tooth is divided into two parts, the crown and
the root. The anatomical crown is the part of the tooth
covered with enamel. The root of a tooth is embedded in
alveolar bone and covered with cementum. NOTE: In
young people, areas of the anatomical crown are
frequently buried in gingival tissue. As a person gets
older it becomes common for a tooth’s enamel to be
completely exposed above the gingiva and to have root
surface showing. The term clinical crown applies to the
part of the tooth that is visible above the gingiva to
include root surface.
The bulk of the tooth is composed of a bone-like
substance called dentin which is covered by enamel to
form the crown and cementum to form the root. The
line of division between the crown and the root is called
the cervical line or cementoenamel junction (CEJ). The
dividing line is found in a somewhat constricted region
on the tooth’s surface called the cervix or neck.
The tip of the root is known as the apex. The tooth
contains an aggregate (herd) of blood vessels, nerves,
and cellular connective tissue called the dental pulp.
The dental pulp is housed within a pulp chamber and
root canal of a tooth. Anterior teeth ordinarily have one
root canal; multiple canals occur in posterior teeth. The
nerves and blood vessels enter and leave the tooth
through an opening called the apical foramen at or near
the apex of the root.
Supporting Structures of the Teeth: The
supporting tissues of the teeth are collectively called
the periodontium (perio = around – dontium = teeth).
The periodontium consists of the alveolar process of
the maxillae and the mandible, the periodontal
ligament, the cementum of the tooth, and the gingiva.
Alveolar process: The alveolar process is the portion
of the maxillae or mandible in which the roots of the
teeth are embedded and by which the tooth roots are
supported. An alveolar process consists of three kinds
of bone. They are the outer cortical plate, lamina dura,
and spongy bone. The outer cortical plate is a compact
layer of bone on the bone’s surface. The lamina dura is
a thin, dense layer of bone that lines tooth sockets. The
lamina dura is a specialized continuation of the cortical
plate. Spongy bone is the less dense, cancellous
(porous) bone representing the alveolar process’
central mass.
Periodontal Ligament: The periodontal ligament is
a thin, fibrous ligament connecting a tooth to the
lamina dura of the bony socket. Normally, teeth do
not contact the bone directly; a tooth is suspended in
its socket by the fibers of the ligament. This
arrangement allows each tooth limited individual
movement. The fibers act as shock absorbers to
cushion the force of chewing impacts.
Cementum: The cementum is the only tissue
considered as both a basic part of the tooth and a
component of the periodontium. It is a thin, calcified
layer of tissue that completely covers the dentin of a
tooth’s root. Cementum is formed during the
development of the root, It functions as an area of
attachment for periodontal ligament fibers.
Gingiva: The gingiva is the specialized mucous
membrane covering the alveolar processes and
encircling the necks of the teeth. It aids in the
support of the teeth, and protects the alveolar
process and periodontal ligament from bacterial
invasion. Healthy gingiva is pale pink, firm, and
resilient. It is divided into two types, free and
attached.
Free Gingiva: Free gingiva is “free” to the extent that
it can be displaced; it is not tightly bound to anything
underneath it. Free gingiva extends from the gingival
crest to the bottom of the gingival sulcus. At the bottom
of the sulcus, and epithelial attachment joins the free
gingiva to the tooth surface. The interdental papilla is
the portion of the free gingiva that fills the proximal
space below the contact areas of adjacent teeth. It helps
prevent food from packing between the teeth.
Attached Gingiva: Attached gingiva covers the labial
and lingual cortical plates of the alveolar process. It is
firmly fixed to underlying bone.