From childhood till the old age one experiences continuous changes, be it the way one talks, the appearance, and health. Slurred speech is observed in childhood and the same repeats in old age too. The sunken skin, the missing teeth, they all show a process of aging or an ailment.
In all the process of exchange of words, the mouth plays a vital part, the positioning of vocal cords, the way air flows within it all affects the speech. Just like a flute that produces a range of sound while closing a hole and the change in the tone with the change in the number of holes closed or open, teeth do the same in speech. The loss of even a single tooth can affect the sound.
Teeth vs Tooth
The main difference between Teeth and Tooth is the difference in the singularity and plurality. While the tooth is one amongst the set of pairs of teeth, teeth are a collective term associated with the number of an individual tooth.
Comparison Table Between Teeth and Tooth (in Tabular Form)
| Parameter of Comparison | Teeth | Tooth |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | The plural form of the tooth. | It’s a singular noun. |
| Structure | It is an overall set forming two arch shapes, one at the bottom one on top. | Tooth varies in shapes but the basic structure is of enamel, dentin, cementum & pulp tissues. |
| Location | Inside the mouth where one set of 16 teeth are attached to the bottom and the other 16 on top. | A tooth can be any amongst the 16 teeth in the bottom jaw and 16 on top. |
| Absence | The absence of teeth leads to the transformation of speech as observed in the newborns and old people. | The absence of a tooth can vary the airflow or can produce difficulty in eating. |
| Role | Teeth help to shape and structure the face. | Each tooth has its function, based on the placement and structure their role changes. |
What is Teeth?
Teeth are undeniably the strongest part of one’s body. A normal adult mouth has 32 teeth located inside the mouth, they are arranged in an arch-like manner. Both the jaws mandible and maxilla serve as the placement of teeth. The top and bottom arch consist of 16 teeth each sequentially.
The important role of teeth is
- Mastication of food: Teeth helps to break down food by cutting and crushing them in preparation for swallowing hence helping to fasten the digestion process.
- Enable speech: Theyhelp in the process of sound formation by controlling the airflow.
- Appearance and Confidence: While communicating in person the one thing that is noticed very evidently is the smile, those having healthy teeth (shiny white and good breath) often leave an impact. The condition of teeth affects confidence, people with foul breath and broken or yellow teeth are often seen quiet, mumbling, and self-conscious.
Teeth are categorized into 4 types according to their shape, position, and function.
- Incisors – They consist of four teeth on the top arch and four on the lower (total remains eight). Incisors help to slice or bite the food like a cutter.
- Canines – The sharpest teeth animals mostly use to tear apart a flash, they are four in number.
- Premolars – Premolars consist of a flatter surface than canines or incisors and they help in grinding the complex food. They are two in each mate of an arch.
- Molars – Having a larger surface area and towards each end of both arches, they provide the same mechanism of grinding stone which basically turns the complex food into smaller pieces.
What is a Tooth?
A tooth (singular noun of teeth) is a hard structure found in the teeth-arch. It consists of two major parts: the crown-like structure and the root. The crown is the visible part observed while the roots stay within the gumline.
The tooth is not just a basic calcified structure but it’s the culmination of the 4 different materials.
- Enamel: It is a translucent, rigid covering of a tooth and is the hardest tissue. It protects the tooth from physical damage or through any chemicals.
- Dentin: Unlike enamel dentin is comparatively softer, forming the base structure of the tooth and is yellow in color, it stays protected underneath the enamel and constitutes a larger part of the tooth. It
- Cementum: It is positioned around the tooth root and is responsible for the regeneration of a tooth.
- Dental pulp: It is the most sensitive region in a tooth as it contains nerves, blood vessels. It is placed in the root region of a tooth and provides nutrients to the dentin.
Conclusion
Teeth are often taken for granted but they form the very basis of an existence of a race of species, be it animals or humans. For carnivores or even herbivores teeth becomes a vital part.
Each tooth requires care and the detriment of one can influence the other too.
Confidence is a key element of one’s personality and often due to the self-conscious nature of humans towards appearance one gets loved or mocked, hence teeth become a symbol of social allure and charm.
References
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/030100829400045J
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1583198/