Atomic-scale compositional mapping reveals Mg-rich amorphous calcium phosphate in human dental enamel.

ABSTRACT: Human dental enamel, the hardest tissue in the body, plays a vital role in protecting teeth from wear as a result of daily grinding and chewing as well as from chemical attack. It is well established that the mechanical strength and fatigue resistance of dental enamel are derived from its hierarchical structure, which consists of periodically arranged bundles of hydroxyapatite (HAP) nanowires. However, we do not yet have a full understanding of the in vivo HAP crystallization process that leads to this structure. Mg(2+) ions, which are present in many biological systems, regulate HAP crystallization by stabilizing its precursor, amorphous calcium phosphate (ACP), but their atomic-scale distribution within HAP is unknown. We use atom probe tomography to provide the first direct observations

SUBMITTER: La Fontaine A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5014466 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature