Dental alveoli

Dental alveoli (singular alveolus) are bony sockets in the jaws in which the roots of the teeth are inserted in the alveolar process, with the help of the periodontal ligament. The lay term for dental alveoli is tooth sockets. The joint that connects the roots of the teeth to the alveolus is called gomphosis (plural gomphoses). The alveolar bone is the bone that surrounds the roots of the teeth to form these bony sockets.

In mammals, tooth sockets are found in the maxilla, the incisive bone and the mandible.