Initially, teeth and bones may appear akin. So, what is the reason teeth aren’t classified as bone tissue?(Image credit: Carbonero Stock via Getty Images)
When first observed, teeth and bones have a striking resemblance: Both are solid, pale, and abundant in calcium. So, why aren’t teeth regarded as elements of the skeleton? Although teeth and bones possess some shared traits, they are, in fact, markedly dissimilar.
The primary parallel between teeth and bones is their makeup: rigid material formed by minerals, such as calcium, phosphorus, fluoride, and magnesium. On a microscopic scale, these minerals unite to form a robust crystalline arrangement, which provides both teeth and bones with greater strength relative to other bodily elements.
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Functions of teeth contrasted with bones
One rationale for teeth not being deemed skeletal components lies in their vastly differing function from bones, according to Hewlett. Teeth are primarily responsible for physically reducing food upon entry into the digestive process, whilst also holding consequence in voice generation. Owing to their prime purpose, the pearly whites you possess are considered elements of the digestive process.
Bones fulfill differing roles. They lend the frame form and backing, setting up connection points for the body’s muscular system. They further safeguard crucial organs, housing essential body parts like the heart and lungs. And bones act like producing centers for both types of blood cells, which ferry oxygen within the frame and occupy a critical place within the immune response, respectively.
Nonetheless, a small degree of overlap exists amid the functions of teeth and bones. For instance, the jaw bones do assist in backing the teeth and bear consequence for chewing.
“They function jointly but separately,” Hewlett stated.
Structure of teeth contrasted with bones
Given the variance in the duties bones and teeth carry out, their composition also diverges. Tooth enamel, a slender coating of mineralized tissue, constitutes the exterior framework of teeth. Enamel ranks as the frame’s most resilient material — an attribute stemming from tightly packed crystals formed by a mix of calcium and phosphate.
Below the enamel is the dentin, a type of mineralized material less sturdy relative to enamel but nonetheless tough. A tooth’s construction mainly consists of dentin, featuring minute passages harboring blood vessels alongside nerve ends. At the tooth’s heart exists a viscous substance termed pulp, which houses additional blood vessels delivering sustenance to the tooth, and the nerves directing tooth sensation.
Bone structure, however, appears in full contrast to tooth composition.
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Bones are encapsulated by periosteum, a highly thin, firm outer layer which houses both blood vessels and nerves which are vital for the tissue’s growth and restoration. The following layer comprises robust compact bone tissue. The inner portion of a bone has cancellous tissue, which is a sponge-like entity containing tiny gaps that house bone marrow, responsible for new blood cell generation.
Living in contrast to dead material
You might note that, unlike teeth, bones are permeated with nerves and blood vessels within as well as around them. This is due to the fact that bones exist as living material, contrary to teeth — marking a principal dissimilarity between the two.
Teeth develop from specialized cells known as ameloblasts and odontoblasts during fetal expansion and in early childhood, which generate layers of enamel alongside dentin that solidify in due course. Upon conclusion of this process, the enamel-generating cells cease to exist — implying that once a tooth is damaged, the lost tissue will not regenerate. While the internal tooth pulp is composed of existing material, it lacks the ability to stimulate the regeneration of the outer dentin or enamel layers.
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Conversely, bones serve as dynamic structures which constantly reconstruct. They hold a web of blood vessels, nerves, and living cells, termed osteoblasts and osteoclasts, which respectively form bone while breaking down previous tissue. This constant shift enables bones to heal post-fracture, and acclimate to physical adaptations, such as fluctuations in a person’s levels of activity or tension. In actuality, the majority of an adult’s skeletal structure gets fully renewed roughly every decade.
“Bone embodies more of a living component within the body,” Hewlett observed. “But be sure to treat your teeth well — they aren’t capable of regrowing.”
Marilyn PerkinsContent Manager
Marilyn Perkins functions as the content manager at Live Science. She is a science communicator and graphic artist located within Los Angeles, California. She completed her master’s degree in science communication at Johns Hopkins, accompanied by her bachelor’s degree in neuroscience from Pomona College. Her writings have appeared across various outlets, including New Scientist, the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health magazine and Penn Today. She was further granted the 2024 National Association of Science Writers Excellence in Institutional Writing Award under the short-form category.
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