Teeth are one of the most esthetic part of our body and is similar to bones of the body. We often confuse teeth with bones but this is not true. Teeth are made up of something else. Let’s learn about it in detail.
Are teeth bones?
Many of us have a belief that teeth are made up of bones. The old generation still believes it but it is not true. The composition of teeth and bones are very different.
By teeth we are going to explain the composition of the tooth’s outer most portion i.e. Enamel.
Composition of Enamel
All tooth have 4 major parts Enamel, Dentin, Cementum, Pulp. The outer most portion of teeth is made up of Enamel. Enamel is often confused with bone.
Enamel is not bone, infact enamel is the strongest element in our body much more stronger than bones.
The composition of Enamel is:
- 95% Hydroxylapatite Crystals (Mineral)
- 4% Water (H2O)
- 1% Organic Matrix
Due to such low amount of water and organic matrix and high amount of minerals. It becomes the hardest element of our body.
Difference between enamel and bones
The enamel of teeth is similar to bone but has much lesser amount of organic matrix and water content while higher amounts of minerals.
While Enamel comprises 95% minerals, Bones only have 50-70% minerals while the rest 30-50% comprises 20-40% organic matrix and 10-20% water.
Conclusion
So basically enamel of teeth is similar to bones but not exactly a bone. Along with enamel, teeth are made of dentin, cementum & pulp. The pulp is the only fully vital portion of teeth.