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Bones and teeth can initially appear to be quite akin. So, what makes teeth unique and ineligible for bone categorization?(Image credit: Carbonero Stock via Getty Images)ShareShare by:
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Teeth might strike you as very similar to bones upon first viewing. Each possesses hardness, whiteness and a richness in calcium. So how can we explain that teeth aren’t regarded as components of the skeletal framework? Despite the presence of shared rudimentary characteristics between teeth and bones, differences truly predominate.
The main attribute that teeth and bones possess in equal measure is the stuff they are made from: a robust substance made up of minerals such as calcium, phosphorus, fluoride and magnesium. On a microscopic scale, these constituent elements take shape as a rigid, crystalline architecture, which explains why both teeth and bones are firmer and more resistant than most other bodily constituents.
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Functions of teeth and bones
One rationale underlying the exclusion of teeth from the skeletal system stems from their wholly individual functions, Hewlett said. The main task assigned to teeth concerns the reduction of food materials upon their entry into the alimentary canal, alongside the essential role of promoting speech. Due to their fundamental task, these gleaming ‘ivories’ are classified as components of the digestive system.
By contrast, bones carry out diverse jobs. Their function lies in delivering architecture and support to our frames, resulting in the establishment of coupling locations for our muscles. Bones further act as protectors of delicate organs, housing crucial body parts such as heart and lungs. Not just that, bones operate as a production line for both red and white blood corpuscles, which are responsible for delivering oxygen around the body and being key contributors to our immune apparatus, respectively.
A minute functional overlap does occur between teeth and bones. Bones located in the jaws assist in lending support to our teeth and facilitating mastication, as an instance.
“They collaborate, but are distinct,” Hewlett stated.
Structure of teeth and bones
The structural makeup of bones and teeth also varies due to their distinct roles. The outer casing of teeth, referred to as enamel, comprises a thin layer constructed of mineralized matter. Enamel claims status as the body’s most durable material — a trait stemming from densely arranged crystals made from combinations of calcium and phosphate.
Underneath enamel resides dentin, a mineralized substance somewhat less robust than enamel, though still firm. Dentin makes up the bulk of a tooth’s structure and features minuscule conduits housing blood vessels and sensory nerve ends. Within the heart of a tooth sits a gelatinous matter called pulp, which similarly houses blood vessels transporting nutrients to the tooth, alongside the nerve fibers that control our sense of feeling within the tooth.
The structure of bones, comparatively, looks dramatically disparate from that of teeth.
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Bones possess a very lean, hardy coating designated as the periosteum, encompassing both blood vessels and nerves crucial for tissue growth and revitalization. The consecutive layer consists of durable, compacted bone matter. Inside a bone lies cancellous tissue, a sponge-like element containing tiny holes that house bone marrow, where formation of new blood cells occurs.
Living vs. dead tissue
Perhaps you took note of the inclusion of blood vessels and nerves inside and outside bones, a feature not apparent in teeth. This exists as bones are living tissue whereas teeth aren’t — marking one of the central demarcations separating the pair.
Throughout fetal evolution and prematurity, specialized cells named ameloblasts and odontoblasts give rise to teeth. The cells fabricate enamel and dentin layers that toughen over a timeframe. Once these processes finish, the enamel-producing entities cease to function — and this determines why missing tissue can’t be regenerated in the face of a dental fracture or impairment. While dental pulp does consist of living tissue, its influence stops short of regenerating the exterior dentin and enamel layers.
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By comparison, bones are dynamic, self-reconstructing formations. They host an assembly of blood vessels, nerves and living cells termed osteoblasts and osteoclasts, purposed to build fresh bone and weaken old tissue, correspondingly. This perpetual cycling lets bones recuperate from fractures and respond to body shifts, like variations in an individual’s stress factors or activity participation. As a point of fact, a major fraction of the adult skeleton experiences total renewal around every decade.
“Bone is more of a living part of the body,” Hewlett stated. “But take care of your teeth — they won’t grow back.”
Marilyn PerkinsContent Manager
Marilyn Perkins fills the content manager role at Live Science. She acts as both science writer and illustrator based out of Los Angeles, California. Having completed her master’s studies in science writing at Johns Hopkins and her bachelor’s training in neuroscience at Pomona College. Her contributions have appeared in periodicals like New Scientist, the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health magazine and Penn Today; in addition, she claimed the 2024 National Association of Science Writers Excellence in Institutional Writing Award, short-form group.
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