Oral Health Care Zone for Grown-upss

Tooth structure

Shapes of teeth

Types of Teeth

Names of tooth surfaces

Functions of teeth

Abnormal tooth
structures

The Occlusion

In our life time, we have two sets of teeth: deciduous teeth and permanent teeth. There are 20 deciduous teeth and 32 permanent teeth. Usually, dentine is slightly yellowish in colour. Since enamel in permanent teeth are more transparent than that of deciduous teeth, the colour of dentine shows through more easily in permanent teeth. Therefore, permanent teeth are usually more yellowish when compared to deciduous teeth. Since dentine thickens as we get older, our teeth may become more yellowish with age.

Hard tissues

Tooth components

Enamel
	The outermost layer of the crown.
	Mainly consists of minerals (calcium, phosphorus, etc.)
	The hardest tissue of human body.
	Generally transparent or milky white in colour.
Dentine
	The second layer of the crown.
	Generally light yellow in colour. Its colour determines the overall colour of the tooth.
	There are many microscopic tubules inside the dentine which connect to the pulp.
Cementum
	A hard tissue covering the root surface of a tooth.
	Connecting the periodontal membrane and dentine of the root of a tooth.

Soft tissues

Pulp
	The chamber inside a tooth.
	Filled with blood vessels and nerve fibres.

Periodontal tissues

Gingivae
	Also known as "gum".
	A layer of soft tissue covering the surface of alveolar bone.
	Healthy gingivae is pink in colour.
Periodontal membrane
	A layer of fibrous tissue.
	Connecting cementum and alveolar bone.
	A buffer for teeth to sustain pressure from chewing to avoid damages to the teeth.
Alveolar bone
	Bony tissue surrounding a tooth for its support.