What term refers to the living tissue inside the tooth containing nerves and blood vessels?

What term refers to the living tissue inside the tooth containing nerves and blood vessels?

• A. Dentin
• B. Enamel
• C. Cementum
• D. Pulp

Answer: (D)

The living tissue inside the tooth that contains nerves and blood vessels is the pulp. It sits in the pulp chamber in the crown and continues down the root canal, forming the central, soft tissue of the tooth. The pulp is highly vascular and innervated, which is why it can sense pain and supply nutrients to the tooth. Odontoblasts at the border of the pulp extend processes into the dentin, helping form dentin, but the actual vessels and nerves reside in the pulp itself. Enamel is the hard outer layer with no nerves or blood vessels. Dentin lies beneath enamel and forms most of the tooth's bulk; it is living tissue but its tubules transmit sensations from the pulp rather than containing its own blood vessels. Cementum covers the root and helps anchor the tooth, and it also lacks a blood supply and nerves.

The living tissue inside the tooth that contains nerves and blood vessels is the pulp. It sits in the pulp chamber in the crown and continues down the root canal, forming the central, soft tissue of the tooth. The pulp is highly vascular and innervated, which is why it can sense pain and supply nutrients to the tooth. Odontoblasts at the border of the pulp extend processes into the dentin, helping form dentin, but the actual vessels and nerves reside in the pulp itself. Enamel is the hard outer layer with no nerves or blood vessels. Dentin lies beneath enamel and forms most of the tooth's bulk; it is living tissue but its tubules transmit sensations from the pulp rather than containing its own blood vessels. Cementum covers the root and helps anchor the tooth, and it also lacks a blood supply and nerves.