A tooth can be divided into two main parts: the crown and root.
Found above the gum line, the crown is the enlarged region of the tooth involved in chewingBelow the gum line is the region of the tooth called the root, which anchors the tooth into a bony socket known as an alveolus.
Like an actual crown, the crown of a tooth has many ridges on its top surface to aid in the chewing of food.
Roots are tapered structures resembling the roots of plants, and each tooth may have between one to three roots.
The exterior surface of the root is covered in a bone-like mixture of calcium and collagen fibers known as cementum.
Cementum provides grip for the periodontal ligaments that anchor the root to the surrounding alveolus.
