The hard white outer covering of the tooth is the enamel . Below the gumline, holding the tooth in the jawbone is the root of the tooth. You can t see the roots. The inner portions of the tooth consist of the dentin , a bonelike tissue, and the pulp . The pulp is like a house for the nerves and blood vessels at the center of the crown and root.
Teeth have different shapes for different jobs.
For example, when you eat, the upper teeth work together with the lower teeth of the same shape to bite, chew, and tear food. They have sharp, chisel-shaped crowns that cut food. The four cuspids are next to each incisor. Cuspids have a pointed edge to tear food. Also called bicuspids, the four pairs of molars are located next to the cuspids.