The Hong Kong SAR Department of Health educates on the structure of the tooth as part of their effort to increase awareness about oral health care.
We have 20 deciduous or milk teeth and 32 permanent teeth. Each tooth is made up of hard tissues and soft tissues. Enamel, dentine and cementum make up the hard tissues. The enamel is the outer layer made up of minurals and is the hardest tissue of the body. Dentine is the next layer and is where the teeth get its yellowish color. Permanent teeth are more yellowish than deciduous teeth and become even more yellowish as we grow older. Cementum covers the root surface and connects the dentine and periodontal membrance.
The soft tissues are found inside and outside the tooth. Inside the tooth is the pulp, which has blood vessels and nerves. Periodontal tissues are outside the tooth. These include gingivae, which we call the gum, the punk tissue covering the alveolar bone. The periodontal membrance is the fibrous tissue that absorbs shocks to the teeth.
Image from www.toothclub.gov.hk
[...] are four main types of teeth: chisel-shaped incisors for chopping food, sharp canines for tearing food, diamond-shaped premolars [...]