Which tissue type forms the sockets that anchor teeth in the jaw?

Which tissue type forms the sockets that anchor teeth in the jaw?

• A. Enamel
• B. Pulp
• C. Alveolar bone
• D. Cementum

Answer: (C)

Alveolar bone forms the tooth sockets in the jaw. The hollow spaces that cradle each root—the sockets—are part of the surrounding jawbone, with the thin bone lining the socket called the alveolar bone proper (often seen on radiographs as the lamina dura). The periodontal ligament attaches the cementum of the root to this bone, helping stabilize the tooth.

Enamel covers the crown and does not create or line sockets. Pulp is the innermost tissue within the tooth and has no role in socket formation. Cementum covers the root surface and anchors the tooth via the periodontal ligament, but the actual socket is the alveolar bone surrounding the root.