The preparation of histological sections of teeth can be both a rewarding and a frustrating experience. This is primarily due to the varying degrees of mineralization of the enamel, dentin, cementum and surrounding bone and the difficulty in retaining original relationships between the calcified and the soft tissues in the final stained section.

The tooth has a central pulp that is a gelatinous loose connective tissue. Surrounding this is dentin that forms the main bulk of the tooth, is composed chiefly of collagen fibers and is approximately 70% mineralized.