As part of the natural decomposition process, teeth go through a number of physical and biological changes after death.………
Teeth are among the most resilient parts of the human body because they are mostly made of enamel, dentin, and pulp.
Teeth are often used in forensic identification because of their durability, which allows them to survive long after other tissues have broken down.
The teeth themselves do not change much at first, right after death.
The hardest material in the body, enamel, doesn’t break.
Bacteria, enzymes, and environmental factors cause the surrounding soft tissues—gum tissue, blood vessels, and connective tissues—to rapidly decompose.
The teeth become more visible as the supporting structures deteriorate.
The face and jaw bones continue to deteriorate over months or years, but because of their makeup, teeth typically remain mostly intact.
Dentin and pulp are less resilient to environmental influences than enamel, but they are still more resilient than soft tissues.
Therefore, if conditions are dry, cold, or shielded from the acidity of the soil, teeth may stay embedded in or close to the decomposed remains for long periods of time.
