Chemical gradients in human enamel crystallites.

ABSTRACT: Dental enamel is a principal component of teeth¹, and has evolved to bear large chewing forces, resist mechanical fatigue and withstand wear over decades². Functional impairment and loss of dental enamel, caused by developmental defects or tooth decay (caries), affect health and quality of life, with associated costs to society³. Although the past decade has seen progress in our understanding of enamel formation (amelogenesis) and the functional properties of mature enamel, attempts to repair lesions in this material or to synthesize it in vitro have had limited success^4-6. This is partly due to the highly hierarchical structure of enamel and additional complexities arising from chemical gradients^7-9. Here we show, using atomic-scale q

SUBMITTER: DeRocher KA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8290891 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature