Ligaments.
The periodontal ligament attaches the tooth to the surrounding alveolar bone. This ligament is a fibrous connective tissue that helps support the tooth and allows for slight movement during chewing or other forces applied to the tooth.
Periodontal ligament
The alveolar process (alveolar bone) is the thickened ridge of bone that contains the tooth sockets (dental alveoli) on bones that hold teeth. In humans, the tooth-bearing bones are the maxillae and the mandible.[3]
A tooth is attached to the bone of the jaw through the periodontal ligament. This ligament acts like a cushion, allowing the tooth to withstand the forces of biting and chewing. Additionally, the surrounding bone provides support and stability for the tooth.
provides a means for attachment of tooth to alveolar bone
cartilage
The periodontium is made up of four main tissues: gingiva (gum tissue), alveolar bone (bone that surrounds and supports the teeth), cementum (outer layer of the tooth root), and periodontal ligament (connective tissue that attaches the tooth to the bone).
cementum
A periodontal ligament surrounds the cementum. This ligament contains vessels and nerves as well as bundles of think collagenous fibers which pass between the cementum and the bone of the alveolar process, firmly attaching the tooth to the jaw.
The periodontium: alveolar bone and the periodontal structures
The first molar is usually innervated by two alveolar nerves: the superior alveolar nerves from the maxillary division of the trigeminal nerve.
A tooth is primarily held in place by the periodontal ligament. The ligament runs the entire length of the tooth root surface and attaches to the bone of the jaw. The width of the ligament is typically less than a millimeter in width. There is a small amount of epithelial tissue (gum tissue) that covers the coronal (top) of the ligament and attaches to the tooth itself, but this attachment is not nearly as strong as the ligament. In periodontal disease (gum disease) bacteria colonize in the small pocket between the tooth and gum. If it remains long enough, the bacteria cause the body to respond in an inflammatory reaction. The immune system produces enzymes that destroy the attachment and the bone surrounding the tooth. Eventually, the tooth no longer has enough attachment and support to withstand the forces of biting and chewing, and the tooth becomes loose and has to be removed.