Eli5: why is when a bone shatters it can rebuild itself but when a tooth gets a hole in it it just keeps eating away at it
In: Biology
TLDR AT THE BOTTOM
Teeth are composed of calcium, phosphorus, and other minerals(mostly minerals). Bones contain calcium, phosphorus, sodium and other minerals, but mostly consist of the protein collagen. Collagen is a living, growing tissue that gives bones their a flexible framework that allows them to withstand pressure. Calcium fills in the space around that framework and makes the bone strong enough to support the body’s weight.
But bones are still not as strong as teeth. The hardest part of the human body , teeth mostly consist of a calcified tissue called dentine. The tooth’s dentine tissue is covered in enamel, that hard, shiny layer that you brush.
The exterior of bones consists of periosteum, a dense, smooth, slippery membrane that lines the outer surface of most bones , except at the joints of long bones, which instead consist of slimy hyaline cartilage. Periosteum contains osteoblasts, or cells that can manufacture new bone growth and repair.
Tooth enamel, unfortunately, doesn’t have the same regenerative powers. Unlike bones, teeth cannot heal themselves or grow back together if they are broken.
TlDR: Basically there arent any pathways or cells in your body designated to regrow the damaged enamel or dentine, unlike your bones which have multiple pathways to deliver cells and various cells in the body to regrow or fuse bones, despite both being made of very similar base components they are still very different structurally.
(Not a dentist just Googled it)
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