Science Fair Projects Research - Contents of the Tooth

Tasmiha
Age: 16
Illinois, USA

We are only able to see part of our teeth because each tooth is placed in a hole located on the jawbone. We are not able to see the lower part that is placed firmly in the gums. The gums line the mouth and cover the jawbone, (Platinum, 2000 CD-ROM).

The part of the tooth that we are not able to see is the tooth’s root. The upper white portion is called the crown. The crown is coated with enamel. Tooth enamel is known to be the hardest tissue found in the human body. Enamel is composed 95% of minerals. The most abundant mineral found in the enamel is a compound called hydroxyapatite. This compound is known to have a high content of calcium (Platinum, 2000 CD-ROM).

Under the enamel, is the dentin. Dentin is much softer than enamel. It is a layer of yellow bonelike material. Located inside dentin, is the pulp. The pulp is very important because it contains all the blood vessels and nerve fibers. Together, both the dentin and pulp goes into the root. The outer portion of the root holds the tooth in place called cementum. These are the contents of a typical tooth References on Traumatized Teeth - (Ward, 1991 p.6 -9).

Now that you have background information about the contents of the tooth, let's look at tooth decay and its causes.