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The part of the tooth you can see is called the crown. The outer surface of the crown is made of enamel. Just beneath the enamel is dentin, a substance harder than bone. The gum surrounds the base (root) of the tooth.
The root of the tooth extends down into the jawbone. The root contains blood vessels and nerves, which supply blood and feeling to the whole tooth. This area is known as the "pulp" of the tooth.
The jawbone is attached to all of the teeth. It keeps your teeth stable and allows you to move your mouth and teeth to chew. The lower jawbone is called the mandible. The upper jawbone is called the maxilla.
Adoff S. Dental and mouth pain. In: Olympia RP, O'Neill RM, Silvis ML, eds. Urgent Care Medicine Secrets. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2018:chap 4.
Norton NS. Oral cavity. In: Norton NS, ed. Netter's Head and Neck Anatomy for Dentistry. 3rd ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2017:chap 13.
March 10, 2016
University of Florida Health researchers have identified a new strain of bacteria in the mouth that may keep bad bacteria in check — and could lead to a way to…
College of Dentistry, University of Florida Health Science Center, +2 more
