As a layman, thinking that teeth and bones are the same is expected. They are pretty similar in visual appearance and constitute calcium. But this is where their similarities end. The answer to your question, “are teeth bones?” is no, they are not.
Both structures of the human body are made from minerals such as calcium and phosphorus mainly, while bones have an addition of sodium with collagen as an entirety. Both teeth and bones are sturdy, yet, the strength of bones surpasses teeth’.
What Are Teeth Made Of Actually?
Teeth, unlike bones are not living; they comprise of 4 layers which include:
- Enamel
- Dentin
- Cementum
- Pulp
Enamel – the outermost protective covering that saves the inner layers from the external wrath of food items.
Dentin – the next layer is dentin, right under enamel having small tubes. It is a sensitive layer covering the gums and has the main function of sending sensations or signals to the nerves of your teeth.
Cementum – is a bridge between the root and gums, present under the gum line helping the teeth stay on the jaw bones.
Pulp – it is the heart of your tooth and is primarily responsible for sending signals to the brain in case of any activity. It contains nerves and blood vessels.
Difference between Teeth and Bones
Teeth and bones both are a part of the human skeletal system and made up of majorly calcium; however, there are some marked differences between the two; let us have a look.
Constituents
If you think that both have calcium so they are same, that is not the case. What distinguishes the two is the presence of collagen in the bone. This element – collagen, is a protein which gives the bones their due strength to bear the pressure and overall body weight.
On the other hand, teeth do not have any such material, and the only thing the sturdy layer of enamel can bear is the biting and chewing of food.
Healing
Your teeth are not bones since bones have a unique healing ability that the former lacks. There is no teeth regeneration once it gets broken, and only cosmetic approaches can deal with it. Whereas if you see bones, they have the ability to grow themselves again because tissues are living.
Bones are not like teeth since they have certain biological items in them, such as osteoblasts that help in tissue regeneration.
Difference in Structure
The structural difference is the most visible one among all three. Teeth are found in the oral cavity or mouth; on the other hand bone is present in every part.
The bone has a meshwork of vessels, biological and collagen. While teeth has 4 layers, and nerves are present in the deepest one only.
Final Thoughts
We hope that this blog has answered all your questions regarding teeth and bones being the same or not. They appear similar visually, but if you dig in deeper, there are differences. In case you have damaged your teeth in any way and looking for solutions head to George Town Elite Dental for your queries. Call now at 737 444 2626 for an appointment.