Are teeth made of bone?

The origins of some myths and misconceptions are hard to determine, but this one is easy. Teeth look like bone (hard surface, white color) – so they must be made of bone.

Bones are living tissues with nerves and a blood supply. Besides their structural role, bones perform other jobs for the body such as storing minerals like calcium.

Teeth have a somewhat similar chemical makeup to bone, but they are very different in many important ways. Teeth cannot heal themselves as bones can. Bone marrow produces red and white blood cells, but teeth do not.

Human teeth are composed of four materials: Enamel, dentin, pulp and cementum. Enamel forms the outside surface and is the hardest substance in the body. Next is the dentin, a yellowish calcified tissue. The pulp forms the central part of the tooth and contains blood vessels and nerves. Finally, cementum, as the name implies, connects the tooth to the jawbone.