tooth

Also known as teeth

A tooth (: teeth) is a hard, calcified structure found in the jaws (or mouths) of many vertebrates and used to break down food. Some animals, particularly carnivores and omnivores, also use teeth to help with capturing or wounding prey, tearing food, for defensive purposes, to intimidate other animals often including their own, or to carry prey or their young. The roots of teeth are covered by gums. Teeth are not made of bone, but rather of multiple tissues of varying density and hardness that originate from the outermost embryonic germ layer, the ectoderm.

AI overview

A tooth is a hard, calcified structure in the jaws of many vertebrates that primarily breaks down food, though some animals also use teeth to capture prey, tear food, or defend themselves. Teeth are made of multiple tissues of varying density rather than bone, with their roots covered by gums.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Key facts

Anatomy.Name: Tooth
Anatomy.Latin: dens
Anatomy.Greek: ὀδούς (odoús)
Anatomy.Image: Close up - chimpanzee teeth.png
Anatomy.Caption: A chimpanzee displaying his teeth

via Wikipedia infobox

Research

308,051 papers

Tooth formation and eruption - lessons learnt from cleidocranial dysplasia.ReviewEuropean journal of oral sciences · 2018Kreiborg S, Jensen BLDOI: 10.1111/eos.12418
A cognitive psychological approach for tooth identification based on brain event-related potentials.ReviewJournal of oral biosciences · 2022Aoki S, Ito TDOI: 10.1016/j.job.2022.04.002
Surgical Exposure of Impacted Teeth.ReviewOral and maxillofacial surgery clinics of North America · 2020Alberto PLDOI: 10.1016/j.coms.2020.07.008
Intradental mechano-nociceptors serve as sentinels that prevent tooth damage.Cell reports · 2025Ronan EA, Gandhi AR, Uchima Koecklin KH et al.DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2025.116017
Tooth pattern, development, and replacement in the yellow catfish, Pelteobagrus fulvidraco.Journal of morphology · 2024Huang R, Tang L, Li R et al.DOI: 10.1002/jmor.21657
Revisiting tooth preservation in prosthodontic therapy.ReviewJournal of prosthodontics : official journal of the American College of Prosthodontists · 2011Priest GDOI: 10.1111/j.1532-849X.2010.00672.x
Abiotic tooth enamel.Nature · 2017Yeom B, Sain T, Lacevic N et al.DOI: 10.1038/nature21410
Access Cavity Preparations: Classification and Literature Review of Traditional and Minimally Invasive Endodontic Access Cavity Designs.ReviewJournal of endodontics · 2021Shabbir J, Zehra T, Najmi N et al.DOI: 10.1016/j.joen.2021.05.007

via PubMed

Wikidata facts

Image: Lower wisdom tooth.jpg

Show 4 more facts

ground level 360 degree view URL: www.zygotebody.com/#nav=0.75,126.89,58.47,0,0,0,0&sel=p:;h:;s:1059;c:-0.6;o:-0.75&layers=0,1,6250
Unicode character: 🦷
Commons category: Teeth
Commons gallery: Tooth

Sources (4)

via Wikidata · CC0

~22 min read

Article

23 sections

Contents

Etymology
Origin
Mammals
Aardvark
Canines
Cetaceans
Primates
Horse
Proboscideans
Rabbit
Rodents
Manatee
Walrus
Fish
Amphibians
Reptiles
Birds
Invertebrates
Fossilization and taphonomy
See also
References
Sources
External links

The general structure of teeth is similar across the vertebrates, although there is considerable variation in their form and position. The teeth of mammals have deep roots, and this pattern is also found in some fish, and in crocodilians. In most teleost fish, however, the teeth are attached to the outer surface of the bone, while in lizards they are attached to the inner surface of the jaw by one side. In cartilaginous fish, such as sharks, the teeth are attached by tough ligaments to the hoops of cartilage that form the jaw.