A Healthy Smile Is Important for a Great Overall Appearance

Ask any dentist, and he or she will tell you that teeth are amazing things. You have these 32-36 separate, living bones grouped together in your mouth, all doing the same job but all affected differently by oral health tasks, food, maintenance, and more. If one tooth dies, it could cause an infection with the others, but the other teeth keep doing their job until they are affected. Then there is the amazing fact that every tooth is comprised of four important layers, and each layer has a very specific and important job to do in order to maintain your dental and oral health. Here are the four layers and how each layer plays a role in dental health.

1. Root Canal

The root canal is where the living, breathing tissues of the tooth are. Every tooth has blood vessels and nerves inside of it, and they are enclosed in the root canal. The canal itself opens at the very bottom ends of the roots of your teeth, allowing the nerves and blood vessels to travel up into each tooth and through each root of the tooth. When something unhealthy occurs to the root canal of your tooth or teeth, the entire tooth begins to die. That is why keeping the surrounding gum tissue healthy so that nothing can damage the roots or the root canals is critical.

2. Pulp Cavity

If you could look inside your bones, you would notice that they are not hollow. They have spaces filled with bone marrow, just like all of the other bones in your body. In teeth, this is referred to as the "pulp cavity," as the marrow is softer here in order to allow the blood vessels and nerves to get into the hearts, or centers, of your teeth. This pulp area collects nutrients from the blood to build up your teeth and give them strength. If you had no pulp cavities, your teeth would all be dead and probably not last very long.

3. Dentin

The dentin is the thicker layer of bone that covers and houses the previous two layers. It is, in essence, the tooth itself. However, it is not as strong as the enamel layer, so you could not chew food if all you had was dentin. Dentin is also what gives teeth their color. If teeth are not brushed, the dentin collects food stains and shows through enamel as an undesirable color. It has to be protected as it needs to be cared for.

4. Enamel

The enamel is the tooth layer you can see. It is the "protectorate" layer of your teeth. It prevents the degradation of your teeth, and it is responsible for making your teeth strong enough to bite and chew. Regular visits to your dentist ensure that the enamel remains intact and strong for most of your life, so make sure you get regular cleanings.

​To make sure your teeth are in optimal health, schedule an appointment with a local dentist, like Dental Design SD​, today.