Types of Teeth, Dental Anatomy & Tooth Anatomy

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Study: Neanderthal teeth provide details on hardships, harsh climate

By studying Neanderthal teeth and their tooth enamel, researchers gained more detailed insights into what humans’ ancient cousins lived through. Find out more, here.

Study explores why mouth wounds heal faster than skin cuts

Ever wondered why mouth wounds heal faster than skin cuts? Read on for more details from a recent study.

Craze Lines Making You Crazy? Here's What You Need to Know

Craze lines are tiny cracks that appear on the enamel or outside covering of the teeth. If you notice these cracks, should you be concerned?

What Is Tooth Dilaceration?

Dilaceration — the abnormal bending or sharp curvature of a tooth's root — is rare and sometimes preventable. Learn about the signs of this condition.

Can You Make a Cloverleaf Tongue?

Can you twist your tongue into a cloverleaf tongue? If so, you have a talent that many people don't have. Learn more about this unique talent.

Why Is Wharton's Duct Important?

What is Wharton's duct and why is it important to your oral health? Learn more about their influence on oral health.

All About the Apical Foramen

What's an apical foramen? This junction between tooth pulp and the rest of the body is crucial for a successful root canal procedure. Learn more today.

What Is Concrescence?

Concrescence occurs when a tooth's cementum, the material covering the root of the tooth, is joined with another tooth's cementum. It's a rare condition.

What Is Tooth Gemination?

Tooth gemination, also called double teeth, is a dental anomaly describing an oversized or abnormally shaped tooth that seems to be comprised of two teeth.

Odontoblast: Function, Abnormalities and Care

The odontoblast is responsible for making dentin, the material that makes up most of your tooth. Learn more, here.

What Is Teeth Shaving?

Teeth shaving is the process of intentionally recontouring or reshaping teeth to achieve a variety of restorative and cosmetic goals. Learn more now.

Molars 101: Caring for Your Mouth's Workhorses

The large teeth found at the back of your mouth don't show when you smile, but molars are some of the most important when it comes to daily activities.

What Is Hyperdontia?

When a person is born with supernumerary, or extra teeth, the oral condition is known as hyperdontia. Here's who it affects and how it's dealt with.

Tongue Functions and the Roles It Plays

You use your mouth for many important things. What function does your tongue have in them? Find out how chewing, tasting, swallowing and more are affected.

What Are Filiform Papillae?

What are filiform papillae and what is their function on the tongue? Find out more about those tiny bumps on your tongue, here!

Torus Palatinus: Causes, Complications and Treatment

Torus palatinus is a condition that leads to benign bony growths on the roof of the mouth. Learn about causes, complications and treatment options here.

What Are Primary Teeth?

What are primary teeth? Learn about the role baby teeth play in making way for a permanent set.

Excessive Drooling: What's Normal?

Excessive drooling can be attributed to poor mouth and tongue control and inadequate swallowing due to many factors. Learn more here.

What Is Hyperdontia?

Have you ever met someone with a smile full of what looked like too many teeth? This condition is defined as hyperdontia or more than 32 permanent teeth.

Fungiform Papillae and Your Tongue

What are fungiform papillae? How do they help you taste your favorite flavors and what can hinder their important job? Learn more here.

Jagged Teeth: Causes and Treatment

Wondering how to fix jagged teeth? Learn about what your dentist can do to fix chips, breaks and naturally uneven teeth. Learn more here.

Tonsils and Adenoids: What's the Difference?

Tonsils and adenoids aren't the same thing. Check out their functions and what makes them different from each other. Learn more here.

Mesial of the Tooth: Putting Your Best Tooth Forward

Learning a little dental vocabulary can help you be more informed about your oral health. Start up front with the mesial of the tooth. Learn more here.

Von Ebner Glands: What Do They Do?

How much do you know about your salivary glands? Learn how von Ebner glands help you taste and enjoy your food, and the oral changes that can affect them.

What Causes Tongue Spasms?

What are tongue spasms? Find out more about the symptoms, causes and treatments of lingual dystonia here.

What Is the Cementoenamel Junction (CEJ)?

Learning about the cementoenamel junction (or CEJ) and how to protect it from unnecessary wear can help you prevent dental sensitivity. Learn more here.

Adults With Baby Teeth: Causes and Treatment

Adults with baby teeth might not even know that their primary teeth are still in their mouth. Learn causes of retained teeth & when is treatment necessary.

What Is the Parotid Gland?

When a parotid gland is healthy, it supplies saliva rich in digestive proteins to the mouth. What happens when it becomes infected? Learn more, here.

What Is a Pulp Chamber?

The pulp chamber houses critical parts of your tooth's anatomy and helps keep your tooth alive. Learn more about problems and how to keep the area healthy.

Odontoblasts: Function, Abnormalities and Care

The odontoblast is responsible for making dentin, the material that makes up most of your tooth. Learn more, here.

What Are Dentin Tubules?

Dentin tubules are microscopic channels in your teeth that are sometimes responsible for tooth sensitivity. Learn how to beat sensitivity, here.

Buccal Exostosis: Causes, Treatment and Care

A buccal exostosis is benign, but home care tips may ensure your mouth and gums stay healthy. Learn more.

About Cementum: Function, Types & Role in Tooth Sensitivity

The cementum is a part of your tooth's anatomy, much like the enamel. It helps keep your teeth attached to the jaw. Learn how to keep yours healthy, here.

About Cementoblastoma: Development & Treatment

A cementoblastoma is a benign growth that appears on the tooth root. Learn more about it, plus how dentists treat it here.

The Sublingual Gland: Functions and Concerns

The sublingual gland is one of three salivary glands. Learn what it does and the conditions that affect it, here.

What Is a Canine Tooth?

What is a canine tooth and what is its function in your mouth? Find out more about canine teeth, including when they develop, why we need them, and more.

What Is a Central Incisor?

When you flash a wide grin, the type of tooth that is front-and-center is the central incisor. What is its function? Learn more, here.

Torus Mouth: What's That Oral Growth?

A torus mouth is a bony growth that likely develops due to stress in your jaw. Learn more about treatment and oral care if you have one, here.

Torus Palatinus: Causes, Complications and Treatment

Torus palatinus is a condition that leads to benign bony growths on the roof of the mouth. Learn about causes, complications and treatment options here.

Congenitally Missing Teeth: What Are They?

Congenitally missing teeth can affect the way your smile looks and how teeth work. A dentist can offer remedies to keep your mouth healthy. Learn more.

Exostosis Mouth: A Complicated Term for Benign Bony Growths

If you notice a bony bump, you may have an exostosis mouth growth. They're benign and rare. Read on to learn more about exostoses. Learn more, here.

Palatal Tori: Causes and Treatment

Palatal Tori are growths of bone or cartilage and can appear anywhere in the top or bottom of your mouth, typically near the molar. Learn more, here.

Inferior Alveolar Nerve (IAN): Causes & Symptoms

The inferior alveolar nerve (IAN) is very important to the mouth and its several functions. Here's all you need to know about this nerve.

What Are Filiform Papillae?

What are filiform papillae and what is their function on the tongue? Find out more about those tiny bumps on your tongue, here!

Periodontal Ligament: What Is It?

What is the periodontal ligament and why is it important to your overall oral health? Learn more, here.

Tongue Functions and the Roles It Plays

You use your mouth for many important things. What function does your tongue have in them? Find out how chewing, tasting, swallowing and more are affected.

Do You Have a Cusp of Carabelli?

What is a cusp of carabelli? Do you have one and does it affect the health of your smile? Learn more, here.

Types of Abnormal Tongues and What They Look Like

The tongue might not be something you think about all that often, but what if you have an abnormal tongue? What does it look like? Find out more, here!

What Is a Healthy Tongue Color?

Your tongue can be all sorts of shades and indicate overall health. What color tongue should you have? Find out what a healthy tongue looks like, here.

What Is the Distal Tooth Surface?

Have you ever heard of the distal tooth surface? Find out what the distal tooth surface is and the best way to care for them to avoid plaque and cavities.

Circumvallate Papillae Are Tastebuds Extraodinaire!

Circumvallate papillae are key to enjoying the taste of your favorite foods. Learn more about this extraordinary taste bud, here.

Alveolar Process: Anatomy, Features and Importance

The alveolar process is the bone that surrounds your teeth. Learn more about how it functions in your mouth and why it's important for your oral health.

Lingual Frenulum: What Is It and What Does It Do?

The lingual frenulum or frenum is a small fold of tissue that attaches the tongue to the floor of the mouth. Learn more about lingual frenulum, here.

Pink Tongue? How Tongue Color Can Give Clues About Oral Health

A pink tongue may be an indicator of your oral health. Find out more about tongue colors, a pink tongue, and what it can say about your oral health.

Tongue Coating: Too Much, Too Little and Just Right

While it might not be a popular topic of conversation, your tongue coating is important for a healthy mouth. Is your tongue white? Find out more, here.

Tongue Disease: 3 Conditions That May Affect Your Tongue

You may not give your tongue much thought until you think you have a tongue disease. Learn more about these disorders that may affect your tongue, here.

A Breakdown of Tongue Anatomy

What are the different parts of the human tongue? Find a detailed breakdown of the anatomy of the human tongue and what each part does for you, here.

Mesial Tooth and Correcting Surface Gaps

What is a mesial tooth? What does it mean to have a mesial tooth gap? Should you leave it or talk to an orthodontist? Learn more about your options here.

Let's Talk Tongue Muscles!

Bet you didn't know that your tongue muscles are similar to the tentacles of an octopus. Learn about this and more fun facts about the human tongue, here!

Treatment for Lingual Nerve Injury

What is your lingual nerve? Here's all you need to know about the lingual nerve, LN injury symptoms, and what you can do if it is injured.

Understanding Teeth Structure

Understanding teeth structure may improve your oral care routine, because now you know all the parts that need your attention. Learn more, here.

Frenums and Frenectomy

What happens when a frenum impairs oral function? A frenectomy may be the answer. Find out more about frenectomies and frenulum in the mouth, here.

Are Teeth Bones?

Teeth are strong and white, just like bones. They also store a lot of calcium, just like bones. But are teeth bones? Find out more, here.

Enamel from teeth can serve as time capsules into lives lived

Enamel can tell the story of how someone lived and died more than 350 years ago according to researchers from the Museum of London Archaeology in England.

What Are Mandibular Tori?

Do you feel any hard bumps in your mouth? Those bumps are most likely harmless growths of extra bone called tori. Learn more about mandibular tori, here.

Salivary Glands: How They Protect Your Oral Health

Probably one of the most overlooked parts of your digestive system are the salivary glands, but they play such an important role to your oral health.

Myofunctional Therapy: It's All in the Tongue

When diagnosed, an abnormal tongue position can be corrected with myofunctional therapy, a special training process that ensures a future of good health.

How Dental Hygienist Schools Lead to a Career in Oral Care

With over 345 dental hygienist schools across the U.S., you'll find them located in community colleges and in dental schools alike. Here's what to consider

Parts of the Mouth and Their Functions

The mouth, or oral cavity, is made up of several components that work together so you can breathe, speak, and eat. Learn more about the parts of your mouth.

Teeth and Tongue: Fun Ways to Teach Kids About Mouth Anatomy

Mouth anatomy is about more than just teeth. Here are a few activities you can do with your child to teach them about mouth anatomy and their oral health.

Dogs Know a Smile When They See One

Learn about the dental anatomy, the anatomy of your teeth and the specific functions for the different types of teeth in your mouth.

Four Different Types of Teeth Plus More

Most of us know how important it is to look after our teeth, but do you know the different types of teeth are and how we use them? Learn more, here.

Four Unusual Teeth Problems You Haven't Heard Of

Children should be screened early to see if they show signs of future teeth problems. Find out more about teeth problems, including unusual teeth problems, here.

Ten Human Tongue Facts for Well-Rounded Oral Care

The tongue goes well beyond licking ice cream cones and sticking it out at your sibling. Here are ten human tongue facts, including some its functions.

What Teeth are Baby Teeth?

It can be hard to determine what teeth are baby teeth and which ones are permanent. Learn more about baby teeth and permanent teeth, here.

Slide show: Oral health — Illustrated guide to the mouth

Find out more about mouth anatomy in this helpful guide with illustrations. Visit Colgate® online for more on mouth and teeth anatomy.

Tooth Anatomy: Know the Parts of Your Teeth

Learning about the basics of tooth anatomy will help you understand how oral health conditions form. Learn more about the parts of teeth, here.

Oral Bacteria: What Lives In Your Mouth?

You can't see them, feel them or taste them, but your mouth is home to entire colonies of microorganisms. Learn more about oral bacteria in your mouth, here.

The Truth About Premolars

Premolars, also called bicuspids, are the permanent teeth located between your molars in the back of your mouth and your canine. Learn more about premolars, here.

3 Fun Facts About Teeth

People today know a lot about their oral health, but that wasn't always the case. Find out what our ancestors believed about teeth with these fun teeth facts.

How to Build Strong Teeth

Strong teeth are healthy teeth, and the path to healthy teeth includes both eating the right foods and caring for your teeth. Learn more about strong teeth, here.

What Is Tooth Enamel?

Have you ever wondered about tooth enamel? What is it? How important is it? How can you protect it? Here are the answers to all… Read more at Colgate.com

How Many Teeth Do We Have?

How many teeth do we have? Have you ever wondered that? Well, the answer depends on a few factors, the biggest factor being age. Learn more, here.

Researchers Put Some Teeth Into Growing a Tooth

Scientists in Finland have identified a marker for dental stem cells in mice studies, and are exploring the possibilities of regrowing teeth. Learn more, here.

Is Your Pool Safe for Your Teeth?

Severe enamel erosion can occur from swimming in pools improperly maintained. According to a study swimmers have experienced gradual tooth sensitivity, caused by enamel.

What Are the Different Parts of a Tooth?

Do you know about the different parts of a tooth? Learn more about the parts of your tooth, from the Colgate® Oral Care Center.

Dental Stem Cell Potential Explored

The discovery of stem cells in dental pulp has led to much research and predictions about their potential uses. Find out more about dental stem cells, here.

Genetic Discovery Could Lead to Advances in Dental Care

Scientists have identified a gene that controls the production of tooth enamel. Find out more about this genetic discovery and other dental care advances, here.

New Way to Treat Toothaches?

The release of endorphins produces a condition commonly known as ''runner's high.'' Researchers are now asking if this can treat toothaches. Learn more, here.

Dentistry in the Stone Age

According to Nature, the dawn of dentistry was as early at 9,000 years ago. Find out more on dentistry in the Stone Age, from the Colgate® Oral Care Center.

What Makes Teeth Strong?

Ever wondered what makes your teeth strong? Find out more about what makes your teeth and enamel strong from Colgate® Oral Care.

Scientists Identify Key Protein in Dental Enamel Formation

Scientists have identified a key protein in the formation of dental enamel. Find out more about this important step in understanding teeth enamel formation.

What Is Oligodontia?

An individual who has oligodontia was born without six or more permanent or primary teeth. This condition is very rare and can cause functional problems.