Tooth

High school (ages 12+)
Human Body

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/tooth

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the mammalian dental heterodonty?Mammals typically exhibit heterodonty, with specialized incisors, canines, premolars, and molars
2. What is a tooth made of?A tooth has three main parts. The outer layer is enamel, the hardest material in the body. Inside is dentin and the very center is pulp, which contains nerves and blood vessels.
3. Why do sharks keep losing and growing new teeth?Sharks grow new teeth all the time. When a tooth breaks or is used up, a new one moves up from below so the shark always has sharp teeth to catch food.

Heterodonty: Having teeth of different shapes and sizes adapted for different functions, as in mammals.
Thecodonty: A type of tooth implantation where teeth are set in individual sockets within the jawbone.
Dental Formula: A symbolic representation of the number and types of teeth in an animal's mouth.