Bourrelet
Also: bourlette, dental band, neck
The chevron-shaped band on the lingual (tongue-facing) side of a megatooth tooth, where the crown meets the root. A crisp bourrelet is a positive authenticity sign on Megalodon and its Otodus kin — but it is thin and often worn away.
The bourrelet (also spelled bourlette, and sometimes called the neck or dental band) is the chevron-shaped band that sits between the blade of the crown and the root on Megalodon and other megatooth teeth. It is most pronounced on the lingual side — the side that faced the tongue — where it often carries a thin, slightly darker enameloid wash and points downward toward the root.
Why the bourrelet matters
A clean, well-defined bourrelet is a feature of the Otodus megatooth lineage and is not seen the same way on modern teeth like the great white's. When it is crisp and intact, it is a reassuring sign on a tooth sold as Megalodon.
What to watch for
Here honesty matters: the bourrelet is thin and sits at a vulnerable spot, so it is frequently worn or chipped away even on perfectly genuine teeth. Its absence alone proves nothing. What is worth examining is its texture and the way it meets the blade and root, since heavy restoration can smear or imitate it. Our guide on identifying a real Megalodon tooth shows what an honest neck looks like.
A crisp bourrelet is a good sign — but it is thin and easily worn, so its absence by itself does not make a tooth a fake.