Teeth are hard, mineral-rich structures which are used to chew food.

They are not

made of bone like the rest of the skeleton, but have their own unique structure to
enable them to break down food.

Teeth assist animals in obtaining food and breaking it down for efficient digestion.
Animals who lose their teeth are generally unable to ingest enough nutrients to
survive.

The specific mechanical functions that teeth must perform depends on the animal’s
food source. The animal may need to pierce skin and tear meat, grind up fibrous
vegetables, or do some combination of the two.

Predators often boast sharp, pointed or even serrated teeth to assist them in taking
down prey and eating raw meat.

Herbivores on the other hand typically have long, sharp incisors at the front of their
mouths to assist in cutting bite-sized pieces off of plants and well as molars with
broad, textured surfaces in the back of the mouth which grind and break
down plant matter for easier digestion by the stomach.

 Enamel – The hard, calcified

outer covering which is used to
break down food. Enamel
consists primarily of a matrix of
hydroxyapatite – a mineral made
of crystalline calcium phosphate
which is created by the body’s
cells during tooth development.
Hydroxyapatite can also be
found in some rocks, and in the
mineral/protein matrix that
makes up the hard outer shells
of our bones

 Dentin – A softer, more vulnerable material which serves as a last line of

defense for the tooth pulp in the event that enamel is broken or dissolved.
  Cementum – a bone-like tissue that includes both hydroxyapatite and
connective proteins. This tissue attaches the tooth to the periodontal
ligaments, which hold the tooth firmly in place within the jawbone.
 Pulp, which contains blood vessels and nerves used to keep the tooth healthy
and alert the organism to dangerous tooth injuries and infections.
Tooth enamel is the most mineralized tissue in the body, consisting mainly of the
rock-hard mineral hydroxyapatite. Hydroxyapatite is also found in some rocks and
makes up part of the mineral/protein matrix of bones.