Class IX, BIOLOGY, "Teeth"

Teeth

God has blessed animals and human beings with teeth. They help in breaking and chewing of the food. They are present in oral cavity.Teeth are attached to the upper and lower jaws.

Kinds of Teeth

Humans have two sets of teeth during their lives.

Milk Teeth

The first set of teeth begins to come through the gums when the baby is about six months old. these are called the milk teeth and all twenty teeth are formed over a period of two years.

Permanent Teeth

The milk teeth begin to drop out at the age of six years and are gradually replaced by the second set of teeth called the permanent teeth. In man the milk teeth do not fall off simultaneously, they fall off one by one and similarly permanent grow one by one as well. Healthy teeth are strong and give a beautiful and lustrous look. You must brush your teeth at least twice a day.

Structure of a Tooth

A tooth has two permanent parts, the Crown and the Root. The crown is that part of tooth which projects out of the gum and jaws. The root the the tooth is embedded into the gums and is therefore, hidden.

Enamel

This is the outer most part of tooth which is very hard and lustrous. It is deposited on the outside of the crown of the tooth by cells in the gum. The enamel is a non-living substance. It is made up of calcium salts. It imparts beauty to the tooth and protects the tooth. If the enamel gets removed then the teeth start decaying.

Dentine

It is the part of teeth present under the enamel which is hard. But it wears off if the enamel gets removed. Running through the dentine are strands of cytoplasm arising from the cells in the pulp. These cells keep on adding more dentine to the inside of the tooth.

Pulp

The innermost part of the tooth is hollow and is made up of soft connective tissue which is called the pulp. The strands of cytoplasm in the dentine derive their food and oxygen from the pulp which enables the tooth to live and grow. The pulp contains sensory nerves and blood capillaries. These nerve endings are sensitive to heat and cold and can produce the sense of pain e.g. toothache.

Cement

Cement is a thin layer of very hard material which covers the dentine at the root of the tooth. the fibers holding the tooth in the jaw are embedded in the cement at one end and in the jaw at the other. In this way teeth remain firmly embedded in the jaws.

Protection and Cleanliness of Teeth

Teeth are a gift of nature. For a good health, presence of clean, good healthy teeth is necessary if we wish our teeth to remain healthy; we should wash and clean them after every meal. Our tongue helps in cleansing the upper portion of teeth to some extent. If food particles are firmly trapped up between the teeth, or between gums and teeth, then it becomes difficult to remove them with the tongue. The main cause of tooth decay is a sugar coating left by sugary food on the teeth, which is converted into acid by bacteria. The acid damages the enamel and allows the bacteria to infect the soft dentine and reach the pulp cavity. The dentine begins to decay and causes toothache. Sugary foods such as sweets, toffees and chocolates, the bacteria which cause decay, form a thin layer of scum over the surface of the teeth. This layer becomes very hard with the passage of time and becomes difficult to remove. This scum is called plaque.

The teeth should be cleansed properly and regularly with a miswaak or a tooth brush. So that there is no formation of plaque. We should eat less sugar or sweet and sticky foods and also cleanse the teeth afterwards. Balanced diet should be taken, especially by young people who have growing teeth