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| Tooth | |
|---|---|
| Name | Tooth |
| Latin | Dens |
| Caption | Human maxillary teeth arrangement |
| System | Oral cavity |
| Location | Maxilla, Mandible |
| Tissue | Enamel, Dentin, Cementum, Pulp |
| Function | Mastication, Phonetics, Aesthetics |
Tooth A tooth is a calcified structure in the oral cavity of many humans and vertebrates used primarily for breaking down food. Teeth exhibit diverse morphologies across taxa such as dogs, lions, horses, and Neanderthals, reflecting dietary adaptations and phylogenetic history. The study of teeth intersects fields represented by institutions like the American Dental Association, museums such as the Natural History Museum, London, and archaeological sites including La Chapelle-aux-Saints.
Teeth consist of specialized mineralized tissues anchored in the Maxilla or Mandible. The outermost layer, enamel, is the hardest tissue in the human body and is primarily hydroxyapatite, produced by ameloblasts during odontogenesis described in work from the University of Helsinki and laboratories like the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology. Beneath enamel lies dentin, a collagenous matrix secreted by odontoblasts, enclosing the pulp chamber where neurovascular bundles enter through the apical foramen connecting to vasculature in the Inferior alveolar artery and Superior alveolar artery. The root surface is covered by cementum which interacts with the periodontal ligament attached to alveolar bone, a focus of research at the National Institutes of Health and centers such as the Harvard School of Dental Medicine. Microstructural analysis using equipment from European Synchrotron Radiation Facility and imaging at the Mayo Clinic reveal incremental growth lines analogous to sclerochronology used by the Smithsonian Institution.
Tooth development follows stages named bud, cap, and bell, governed by signaling pathways characterized in studies at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and genes identified by teams at the Broad Institute. Dental lamina gives rise to primary and permanent dentitions; disruptions here are documented in clinical cohorts at Great Ormond Street Hospital and genetic studies from the Wellcome Trust. Eruption chronology in humans typically progresses from deciduous teeth to permanent successors, with variation documented in epidemiological datasets from the World Health Organization and longitudinal cohorts such as those at University College London. Pathologies like ectopic eruption and impaction are treated surgically in settings such as Cleveland Clinic and documented in case series from the Royal College of Surgeons of England.
Teeth are classified by morphology and position: incisors, canines, premolars, and molars in mammals, with heterodonty exemplified by fossils curated at the American Museum of Natural History and comparative anatomy texts from the Royal Society. Homodont dentitions appear in taxa cataloged by the Smithsonian Institution for reptiles and fishes like Tyrannosaurus rex and sharks. Dental formulae are used in mammalogy collections at institutions such as the Natural History Museum, London and the Field Museum. Occlusal patterns, cusp arrangements like those defined by the American Association of Anatomists, and classifications such as the Palmer notation adopted by the International Dental Federation are standard in clinical practice.
Teeth function in mastication, phonation, and social signaling; biomechanics are modeled using finite element analysis at engineering groups like the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Imperial College London. Force distribution during biting involves temporomandibular joint mechanics studied at the Mayo Clinic and Karolinska Institutet. Wear patterns inform dietary reconstructions in paleoanthropology at the University of Cambridge and Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, while enamel microstructure analyzed with techniques from the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility reveals functional adaptations in extinct species such as Australopithecus afarensis.
Dental caries, periodontitis, and attrition are prevalent conditions documented by the World Health Organization and treated in clinics affiliated with the American Dental Association and university hospitals like Johns Hopkins Hospital. Caries results from biofilm activity influenced by species such as Streptococcus mutans, with epidemiological links explored by researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Periodontal disease implicates microbial consortia studied at the Pasteur Institute and immunological responses characterized by teams at the Scripps Research Institute. Developmental anomalies, including amelogenesis imperfecta and hypodontia, are reported in genetic databases curated at the National Human Genome Research Institute.
Diagnosis employs radiography standardized through protocols from the American Dental Association and imaging modalities like cone-beam computed tomography developed with collaboration from institutions such as the University of Pennsylvania. Restorative treatments include fillings, crowns, and endodontic therapy pioneered in clinical research centers like the Mayo Clinic and the UCLA School of Dentistry. Prosthodontics and implantology utilize materials science advances from laboratories at the Fraunhofer Society and implants standardized by guidance from the International Organization for Standardization. Preventive strategies emphasize fluoride application endorsed by the World Health Organization and public health initiatives at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Teeth carry symbolic and practical roles in cultures documented by anthropologists at the British Museum and historians publishing through the Oxford University Press. Teeth functioned as currency in some societies, appear in rites documented in ethnographies from the American Anthropological Association, and serve as forensic identifiers in investigations by agencies like INTERPOL and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Iconic specimens such as the dental remains of Homo neanderthalensis and artifacts in collections at the Smithsonian Institution and Natural History Museum, London continue to inform debates in paleoanthropology and cultural history.
Category:Dental anatomy