Teeth

Summary
This lesson is designed to familiarizes students with human teeth and their functions.

Objectives
• to describe the different parts of individual teeth;

• to explain how teeth grow and develop;

• to list the different types of teeth and their functions.

Suggested Grades
4th Grade
5th Grade
6th Grade

Excerpt
Teeth have a number of functions. They allow humans and animals to chew food before swallowing it. Teeth also allow humans to make certain sounds when they are talking, and they help to form a correct speech pattern and to give the face its shape. Each tooth is divided into two main parts: the crown and the root.

1) The visible part of the tooth, not covered by the gum, is called the crown. The crown is covered and protected by a very tough substance called enamel. This protects what is inside the tooth. Under the enamel and making up most of the tooth is the dentine. This resembles ivory; it is hard, though not as hard as enamel. The dentine, in its turn, protects the innermost part of the tooth, which is called the pulp. The pulp is where the nerve endings and blood supply are located, and it also contains blood vessels that bring food and vitamins to the teeth to ensure that they are healthy. It is these nerves that cause us pain when the dentist works on our teeth, or when we eat or drink something too hot or cold.

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