In 2011, a tooth from British musician John Lennon was sold at auction for $31,000. For ordinary people, teeth can also be very expensive – look at the prices of dentists, and your eyes will definitely pop out of your head. But no matter how much cured or false teeth cost, real teeth will always be more expensive because they are a biological miracle. Healthy teeth provide us with a snow-white smile; we need them for clear and beautiful speech, as well as for chewing food – during breakfast, lunch and dinner, we make an average of 600 chewing movements. Recently, oral and maxillofacial surgery specialist Samer Zaki explained why human teeth are one of the most complex organs in the human body and why each of us should treat them with the utmost care.
Human teeth are amazing organs, and now you will find out why
How teeth hold together on the gums
Human teeth are designed to last us throughout our lives. Their durability is due not only to the strength of the teeth themselves, but also to the method of attachment to the jaw.
Teeth are attached to the human jaw in much the same way as a hammer is to the handle
Teeth are attached to the human jaw through the periodontium. This is the name of the complex of tissues that hold each tooth: root, socket, periodontium and gums. The periodontium deserves special attention – the connective tissue located between the wall of the tooth socket and the surface of the tooth root. The width of this fabric is only 0.2 millimeters, which is comparable to the diameter of four hairs. The way teeth are attached to human jaws is the first biological miracle.
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What are human teeth made of?The teeth themselves are an even more amazing piece of magic. The outer part of each tooth is called enamel, and it is the hardest tissue in the human body. It contains no cells, blood vessels or nerves – it is a non-living, insensitive armor that is made of minerals. Enamel is needed to protect teeth from damage when chewing food. If it is destroyed by biting into hard food or by a strong blow, it will never recover. Also, the enamel is destroyed during dental treatment with a drill, but dentists replace it with a filling. And the enamel is destroyed by exposure to microbes, after which caries occurs.
The human tooth has a very complex structure – all its parts are interconnected
Beneath the enamel is dentin. This is already living tissue with which each tooth is filled. It has many cells, blood vessels and nerves. When the enamel is destroyed, dentin immediately notices this and transmits a signal to the core of the tooth, the pulp. It attempts to slow tooth decay by producing additional tissue. The pulp also begins to send signals to the brain – because of this, toothache occurs, which signals the need to see a dentist.
If you have a toothache, you should go to the dentist as soon as possible. If you do this on time, the tooth will have to be drilled less – the enamel will remain more intact, and the treatment will be cheaper. If you delay going to the doctor, the tooth begins to die. If inflammation occurs, it can cause even more serious health problems.
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How human teeth are formed
The process of formation of human teeth can also be considered a separate miracle. They begin to form in the womb. Around the sixth week of pregnancy, the baby begins to develop the rudiments of future teeth. At the age of 6 months, the child’s first milk teeth begin to erupt – there are 20 of them, and all of them should appear by 2-3 years. At the age of 6-7 years, baby teeth fall out, and children begin to grow molars – this process can last up to 14 years.
Human teeth are finally formed at about 14 years of age
Between 17 and 25 years old, wisdom teeth appear. They are vestigial organs that were passed down to us from distant ancestors. In ancient times they were needed for chewing food, but today they are of no use. Therefore, they often grow painfully, and dentists usually remove them.
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Because of everything written above, it is believed that real teeth are much more expensive than false teeth – these are complex organs that require extremely careful treatment. They look more natural, and if problems arise, they immediately let you know, and this is safer for the body. To keep your teeth healthy, you need to practice good oral hygiene and avoid certain foods. If you have read the article up to this point, pay attention to the material “Unexpected foods that destroy our teeth every day” and you will learn a lot more.