Human Tooth
Teeth of humans are small, calcified, hard, whitish structures found in the mouth. They function in mechanically breaking down items of food by cutting and crushing them in preparation for swallowing and digestion. The roots of teeth are embedded in the maxilla (upper jaw) or the mandible (lower jaw) and are covered by gums. Teeth are made of multiple tissues of varying density and hardness.
Teeth are among the most distinctive (and long-lasting) features of mammal species. Humans, like other mammals, are diphyodont, meaning that they develop two sets of teeth. The first set (also called the "baby", "milk", "primary", and "deciduous" set) normally starts to appear at about six months of age, although some babies are born with one or more visible teeth, known as neonatal teeth. Normal tooth eruption at about six months is known as teething and can be painful.
Dental trauma refers to trauma to the face, mouth, and especially the teeth, lips and periodontium. The study of dental trauma is called dental traumatology.
Read more about Human Tooth: Anatomy, Development, Eruption, Supporting Structures, Tooth Care, Restorations, Abnormalities
Famous quotes containing the words human and/or tooth:
“What a wonderful phenomenon it is, carefully considered, when the human eye, that jewel of organic structures, concentrates its moist brilliance on another human creature!”
—Thomas Mann (1875–1955)
“Poverty is the result of bad adjustment between the soul and its desires.... In the days of great poverty, I did not mind the sensation of hunger.... But ... to be deprived of tooth paste, to brush the teeth without it, was a dreadful thing, a daily discomfort.”
—Alice Foote MacDougall (1867–1945)