The parodontium includes all parts contributing to dental anchoring. The structure of the parodontium also dampens the forces working on the teeth, which can have a bite force of up to 80 kg. The dental roots are located in the alveolae. The proportion of the upper and lower jaw bone containing the alveoli is called the alveolar process. The tissue parts attaching the teeth in the alveoli and form the parodontium are:

• The alveolar process (processus alveolaris),
• Root cementum,
• Periodontium (desmodont),
• Gingiva

The root cementum covers the dental root from the neck to the root tip. The fibres of the periodontium growing towards the alveolar bone are connated with the root cementum. It primarily serves to anchor the tooth in the alveolar.

onnective tissue fibres are the main components of the periodontium. They connect the alveolar bone in the alveoli with the tooth's root cementum. The fibres radiate into the compact bone layer of the alveolar wall. The individual teeth are thus not connated with the alveolar bone but rather suspended in the alveoli through connective tissue fibres. Therefore the pressure of chewing and biting is converted into tensile loading.

Apart from connective tissue fibres, the periodontium also contains a dense network of blood vessels, which not only supply the cells of the root cementum but also dampen the chewing pressure. The periodontium also contains nerve fibres which convey the teeth's sense of pressure and touch.
The alveoli for the teeth are located in the jaw's alveolar process. In a healthy periodontium, the bone starts approx. 1 to 2 mm below the border between the root cementum and the enamel.