Why are teeth alive if they’re just bone and can’t regenerate? Why do they need blood flow and are able die?
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Drunk dentist with a 5yo daughter here…
Teeth aren’t bone but are similar.
First, bone makes your blood cells that keep you alive and fight diseases, so they don’t just let muscles attach to them. Just because they stop growing doesn’t mean they stop working. Bone also remodels constantly. Think of it like your parents remodeling your house. Same house amd family from the outside but different look inside.
So teeth…
The outer part of teeth called enamel that you see is the hardest thing a living thing makes. This is good because enamel can mash most anything except rocks without breaking. Eating food is good.
The middle part of a tooth, between the outer enamel and inner blood flow and nerves is called dentin. This is kinda soft yet kinda hard. Believe it or not really tall buildings bend and move a little bit in the wind. The same thing happens with teeth when you chew. If the empire state building was completely rigid and didn’t sway it could crack in a hurricane. The middle part of a tooth allows teeth to bend a little bit. In order for this to happen the many years (at least 10 or 15 in Evolution terms) the dentin needs blood flow. Kinda like you needs to water the flowers or else they die. Additionally the dentin has nerves that tell your brain if your eating something too hot or too cold. Apparently that’s important.
Tldr. Without blood/nerves teeth would break, be useless, you couldn’t eat enough to have strong kids, your family would die. The end.
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