To better understand bruxism, it helps to understand the anatomy of the teeth.

Development:

• Primary or baby teeth: 12 total teeth
• Permanent or secondary teeth: 32 total teeth

Tooth types:

• Incisors: central and lateral incisors cut the food
• Cuspids or canines cut and tear food
• Pre-molars or bicuspids: shear the food
• Molars: grind the food

Parts of a tooth:

• Crown: The visible portion of a tooth.
• Root: The portion of the tooth embedded in the gum.
• Pulp: Located in the center of the tooth, it contains the arteries, veins, nerves and lymphatic tissue.

Layers of a tooth:

• Dentin: underlies the enamel on the crown and cementum on the root
• Enamel: the outer layer of the crown of the tooth; can be eroded by a cavity
• Cementum: The outer layer of tissue covering the dentin on the root of the tooth

Portions of the tooth that hold it in place:

• Gingiva: the gums are the soft tissues that surround the base of the tooth
• Root canal: The canal in the root of the tooth is where the nerve and blood vessels travel with nutrients to the tooth from the mandible or the maxilla.
• Ligament: The connective tissue that surrounds the root of a tooth and connects it to the maxilla or mandible.
• Bone: Alveolar bone forms tooth socket and part of the teeth.