Your teeth have roots that hold them in your jaw. The roots are covered in a coating called cementum, and cementocytes live inside it.
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The part of a tooth you can see is only the top. Below the gums, each tooth has a root. The root is covered by a thin, hard coat called cementum.
A cementocyte lives in a tiny space inside the cementum, like a room in a wall. It has thin arms that reach out through little channels.
Cementocytes are a lot like the bone cells that live inside your bones. Both get walled in by the hard stuff they help make.
Cementum is important because tiny, strong fibers stick into it. The other ends of the fibers are tied to your jawbone. That's what holds each tooth firmly in place.
Cementocytes are cells that got walled in while cementum was being built. Scientists think they help keep the cementum alive and healthy, and their arms let them stay in touch with nearby cells.
Scroll up to the 3D model and press Cut it open to see the cementocyte inside its little room.
By SciShow Kids. A fun video for kids.
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