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Tooth Anatomy

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The human tooth enables us to eat a variety of foods, speak clearly, and even aid in shaping our faces. Teeth are composed of various elements that work together. Here's a detailed look at the anatomy of a human tooth.
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 19, 2026

Quasistatic Mechanical Testing for Computer-Aided Design and Manufacturing Occlusal Veneers Cemented to Milled Dentin Analog Material

Quasistatic Mechanical Testing for Computer-Aided Design and Manufacturing Occlusal Veneers Cemented to Milled Dentin Analog Material

Published on: December 20, 2024

The tooth: An analogue for biomimetic materials design and processing.

Van P Thompson¹

¹Kings College London, United Kingdom.

Dental Materials : Official Publication of the Academy of Dental Materials

|September 24, 2019

Summary

Human tooth structures, like enamel and dentin, offer a blueprint for creating advanced, tough bioinspired materials. Understanding their hierarchical design reveals key properties for material innovation.

Keywords:

Bioinspired design Decussation Dentin Dentoenamel junction Enamel Enamel prisms Graded structure Mineralized tissues

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Area of Science:

Biomaterials Science
Materials Engineering
Dental Research

Background:

Human enamel and dentin exhibit complex hierarchical structures that dictate their mechanical properties.
These natural structures provide a unique model for understanding material toughness and damage tolerance.

Purpose of the Study:

To review the hierarchical structure-property relationships of human tooth components: enamel, dentoenamel junction (DEJ), and dentin.
To explore how these natural structures can serve as templates for designing advanced, tough materials.

Main Methods:

A comprehensive literature review of dental, engineering, and ceramic publications from the last 20 years.
Searched databases including PubMed, Science Direct, and Google Scholar for studies on enamel and dentin characterization, structure-property relationships, and bioinspired materials.

Main Results:

Enamel's hierarchical structure (3 levels studied, 4th level proposed) and decussation patterns inspire 3D printed ceramic structures.
The dentoenamel junction acts as a crack arrestor and stress reducer, informing the design of stronger dental ceramics.
Dentin's compliant nature supports enamel and may aid in microcrack repair, though its complex structure requires further modeling.

Conclusions:

The multi-level hierarchical organization of tooth structures, especially enamel, provides a robust, damage-tolerant system.
These natural designs are invaluable for inspiring the development of novel, high-performance bioinspired materials.