Are There Teeth in Cremated Remains?

There are many myths surrounding the cremation process, and one common belief is that teeth don’t burn at all. In reality, this is only partially true. The short answer surrounding teeth in cremated remains is that they usually burn up during cremation, leaving behind no teeth in the ashes—but this is not always the case.

What Happens to Teeth During Cremation?

The cremation chamber reaches heats of up to 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit. The teeth are composed of four types of tissue that all respond differently to heat.

These are:

1. Pulp The soft, fragile tissue at the center of the teeth where the blood vessels, tissue, and nerves are situated.
2. Cementum This is the hard connective tissue that covers the root of the tooth.
3. Dentin Beneath the enamel and the cementum, there is dentin. This substance has canals or hollow tubes that stimulate nerves, which cause heat sensitivity in the teeth.
4. Enamel The enamel is the very hard, calcified tissue that covers the crown of the tooth. It contains no living cells, which means it cannot repair itself if damaged.

Enamel is the hardest substance in the human body and is even stronger than bone. It is made up of 96 percent minerals, which is why it is so resistant to damage, like the heat during cremation. However, cremation chambers get extremely hot and have the potential to break the enamel down, but this is not usually completely. The pulp, cementum, and dentin all break down during cremation, but small enamel fragments will likely remain along with other bone fragments. This is the case with real teeth; fake teeth react differently.

This does not mean that the cremains are sent to the family with fragments of teeth. If parts of the teeth survive the cremation process, they are ground down to cremation ashes with any remaining bone fragments. The ashes are always processed before they are given to the family.