structure of tooth

HOW ARE TEETH STRUCTURED? WHAT DO THEY FEEL LIKE?

IN THERE BEGINNING THERE WAS AMELOGENIN - Amelogenin is a protein that is created from DNA through some type of manufacturing process within cells. It has special abilities that are uniquely suited to growing the original teeth.

HOW ARE TEETH CREATED? Simplistically you can imagine most original body creations starting out as a blob of somewhat disorganized and indeterminate cells. Which are originally called T-cells. In a sense each T-cell is a clone of the entire DNA sequence and can theoretically turn into any part of the body. What happens then. First step would seem to be that the cells organize themselves around some type of axis and turning into a rounded cylinder. Next step would seem to be that the cells start to figure out what their own particular role might be in the entire scheme of things? How does this happen? Largely it happens through a process called Polling?

WHAT IS POLLING? - One fun example is a Beagle-fest? What happens here? Imagine you have a beagle who has never met another beagle but who does meet other dogs. Anyway... at some point your dog will have a revelation. "I am a Beagle." This is how polling works. Through various electro-chemical transport mechanisms plus hormones etc gradually everything sorts itself out and the different parts of the body create themselves.

HOW DOES DNA FIT IN? - A simple way to think of DNA is like a long series of separate computer-viruses. Which each have separate roles they act on independently but which also interact with each other. So what happens? At some point each of the teach gets a revelation. "I am a Tooth." and various processes confirm this reality and start to pitch in. Creating resources desirable for tooth creation. Primary here is the amelogenin protein.

HOW DOES THE DNA AND AMELOGENIN FIT IN? Basically what happens is the amelogenin protein creates a crystaline structure of cells that ultimately turn into the teeth. Hard to say exactly what happens. But it is easy enough to imagine the tooth creating itself around its inner container, the pulp cavity. Then for a layer of amelogenin to create itself around the periphery. Then to repeat the process of adding on layer after layer. The outer layers are able to stay alive. Since they are in the middle of the jawbones and well supplied with extraneous nutrition, even without a dedicated blood supply. What would then happen to the inner layers? Clearly they would die and ideally their goopier components would get reabsorbed by the body. What is left behind? The crystaline structure of the tooth, with all of its tubules and passages, which are in fact the fossil remains of the cells that originally created the tooth.

WHAT ABOUT THE PERIODONTAL MEMBRANE? DOESN'T IT HAVE HAIRS THAT STICK INTO THE TEETH? AND DON'T THOSE HAIRS PROVIDE NUTRITION TOO? Good question. Since it is easy enough to imagine an original tooth embedded in the body and encased within a periodontal membrane almost like an egg. And getting fed from the hairs sticking into the teeth. But who knows? Bottom-line is the teeth grow out and it is amelogenin that drives the process.

WHAT HAPPENS WITH PERIODONTAL INFECTION? In simple terms what happens is the infection comes into contact with the periodontal membrane and weakens it. The infection then infiltrates its way down the tooth over a period of years or in some cases months. This breaks the hairs that connect the periodontal membrane to the tooth. So the original structure is lost. And the hairs are lost. So the tooth no longer directly attaches itself to the periodontal membrane. If the damage is severe enough what comes back is not really even periodontal membrane anyway, but rather a cheap filler membrane whose primary goal is to help maintain body integrity. Between the inside world of the body and the outside world of the environment. Then, through various series of processes and events called REMODELING - the flimsy membrane can turn into something resembling skin called EPITHELIUM - which may range from shoddy and jagged and mostly scarred to significantly better quality and function which can almost form a perfect substitute for the original periodontal membrane. The perfect substitute is called a LONG EPITHELIAL JUNCTION.

ARE EPITHELIAL JUNCTIONS GOOD? Bottom line is they are not terribly good. But they are not so bad either. Ideally they form a fairly high quality airtight gasket. WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT? Main reason it is important is that what it means is that if the deeper parts of the tooth are relieved of their infection that what is left will not get fed very well from the outside world. And though the infection can still drink the blood supplied by the body it will tend to remain confined undramatic and unremarkable. Then it can be removed later, hopefully, before it gets much of a chance to regrow back into a threat. Hence, if infection can be removed close to 100% even highly damaged teeth can return to health, even with their mangled supporting gum structure.