The dental cell (alveolus dentalis) is a depression in the jaw bone in which the root of the tooth is located. Dental cells form dental alveoli - a system of many such depressions in the upper and lower jaws.
Each dental cell has a shape corresponding to the shape of the tooth root. The walls of the cell are formed by spongy bone tissue covered with compact bone. The bottom of the cell is located above the canal of the mandibular nerve in the lower jaw or above the maxillary sinus in the upper jaw.
The dental cell is lined with periodontium - connective tissue that tightly covers the root of the tooth. The periodontium consists of osteoblasts, fibroblasts, nerve fibers and blood vessels. It performs supporting and trophic functions, and also participates in the regeneration of alveolar bone tissue.
Thus, the dental cell provides strong fixation of the tooth in the jaw and its nutrition due to its proximity to blood vessels and nerves. Damage to the cell, for example, during tooth extraction, leads to degenerative changes and atrophy of the alveolar process in this area.