Cementoenamel junction
Encyclopedia
The cementoenamel junction, frequently abbreviated as the CEJ, is an anatomical border identified on a tooth
Tooth
Teeth are small, calcified, whitish structures found in the jaws of many vertebrates that are used to break down food. Some animals, particularly carnivores, also use teeth for hunting or for defensive purposes. The roots of teeth are embedded in the Mandible bone or the Maxillary bone and are...

. It is the location where the enamel
Tooth enamel
Tooth enamel, along with dentin, cementum, and dental pulp is one of the four major tissues that make up the tooth in vertebrates. It is the hardest and most highly mineralized substance in the human body. Tooth enamel is also found in the dermal denticles of sharks...

, which covers the anatomical crown of a tooth, and the cementum
Cementum
Cementum is a specialized calcified substance covering the root of a tooth. Cementum is excreted by cells called cementoblasts within the root of the tooth and is thickest at the root apex. These cementoblasts develop from undifferentiated mesenchymal cells in the connective tissue of the dental...

, which covers the anatomical root of a tooth, meet. The border created by these two dental tissues has much significance as it is usually the location where the gingiva
Gingiva
The gingiva , or gums, consists of the mucosal tissue that lies over the mandible and maxilla inside the mouth.-General description:...

 attaches to a healthy tooth by fibers called the gingival fibers
Gingival fibers
The gingival fibers are the connective tissue fibers that inhabit the gingival tissue adjacent to teeth and help hold the tissue firmly against the teeth...

.

Active recession of the gingiva reveals the cementoenamel junction in the mouth and is usually a sign of an unhealthy condition.

There exists a normal variation in the relationship of the cementum and the enamel at the cementoenamel junction. In about 60-65% of teeth, the cementum overlaps the enamel at the CEJ, while in about 30% of teeth, the cementum and enamel abut each other with no overlap. In only 5-10% of teeth, there is a space between the enamel and the cementum at which the underlying dentin is exposed.
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