Describe enamel, dentine and cement in a tooth
Identify the hard layers around the crown and root.
Section B7.3 · Physical digestion
Exam scope and assessment notes
Mapped to the named 0973 section using teaching from the corresponding single-science course. A 0973-specific review of every Core and Supplement objective is still in progress. Written practice is self-checked; it does not demonstrate supervised laboratory competence or award an official Cambridge grade. This qualification reports two grades on the 9–1 scale; confirm the entry route for your zone and exam series.
Before you begin
- Recall large and small nutrient molecules, cell membranes and enzyme specificity.
- Use the stated diagram keys and evidence; models are not to scale.
Work on paper. Try each question before revealing help, and explain why your method works.
Quick readiness check
Which layer is outside the crown?
What you will learn
- Identify the hard layers around the crown and root.
- Identify a layer independently of a diagram’s colour scheme.
Read a tooth section
Enamel covers the crown’s outer surface. Dentine lies beneath it and forms much of the tooth around the pulp. Cement, also called cementum, covers the root surface rather than the exposed crown’s enamel surface.
The crown is the portion normally above the gum; the root is embedded in the jaw region. A section drawing cuts through structures that an external tooth photograph cannot display.
Follow boundaries and pointers
Identify each layer by its position: enamel outside the crown, dentine underneath, cement outside the root and pulp centrally. The colour chosen by the illustrator is not a universal layer identity.
Enamel protects the crown but is not the site of blood vessels. Dentine and pulp are not the same structure. Do not draw the pulp as a solid mineral shell or cement as the entire jaw bone.
Sources for this lesson
Pause and explain
Which position identifies dentine?
Worked example
A pointer enters the thin outer root coating. Name the structure and distinguish it from the crown coating.
Show the worked solution
- Root exterior is cement.
- Crown exterior is enamel.
- Dentine lies inward from these coatings.
Answer Cement covers the root; enamel covers the crown.
Try a topic test
Choose Easy, Normal or Difficult. Save your answers and open worked review after finishing.
Test this topic →From guided practice to a new situation
Write your answer and reasoning first. Use a hint only if you are stuck. The model solution is for self-checking; your written work is not automatically marked.
State the locations of enamel, dentine and cement.
Give me a hint
Separate crown and root.
Compare my reasoning
- Enamel outside crown.
- Dentine beneath outer coat.
- Cement outside root.
Enamel covers the crown; dentine lies beneath the outer layers; cement covers the root.
Look for these in your work
- All three positions.
- Crown/root distinction.
A section uses blue enamel and yellow dentine; another uses opposite colours. What should identify the layers?
Give me a hint
Use topology, not colour.
Compare my reasoning
- Locate crown exterior.
- Identify dentine inward from it.
Their positions and pointer endpoints identify them, rather than the colour scheme alone.
Look for these in your work
- Structural evidence.
- Reject universal colour key.
A learner labels all hard material around a tooth “enamel”, including jaw bone. Correct the model.
Give me a hint
A tooth has several tissues and is embedded in another structure.
Compare my reasoning
- Enamel covers crown.
- Dentine and cement are separate tooth structures.
- Bone surrounds/supports the root region.
Enamel, dentine, cement and jaw bone are distinct structures with different locations.
Look for these in your work
- Separate layers.
- Separate tooth from bone.
Common mistakes
- Cement is not jaw bone.
- Enamel is not the blood-vessel space.
What can you explain now?
Which position identifies dentine?
Compare with the explanation
Beneath the outer coating around the pulp.
It forms much of the tooth.
After trying it yourself, choose your next review. This is your self-assessment.
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Make it stick
Locate each hard tooth structure using crown, root and centre.
If you needed the solution, close it and solve the problem again from a blank page. A correct answer is stronger when you can explain the reason for each step.