A bone-like substance that covers the root of a tooth, helping to anchor it in the jaw.
From Latin 'caementum' meaning 'rough stone' or 'quarry stone,' which originally referred to building material. The term was applied to tooth structure because of its similar hardness and function in anchoring teeth structurally.
Your teeth have three layers: enamel on the crown, dentin underneath, and cementum covering the root—it's like nature's own three-ply construction material that keeps teeth locked in bone sockets for decades!
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