Elastic modulus of dental enamel: effect of enamel prism orientation and mineral content
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Elastic modulus of dental enamel: effect of enamel prism orientation and mineral content V.L. Ferguson1,3, Alan Boyde2, Andrew J. Bushby1 1
Department of Materials, Queen Mary, University of London, London, UK. Dental Biophysics, Queen Mary, University of London, London, UK. 3 BioServe Space Technologies, Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA. 2
ABSTRACT Nanomechanical properties of mineralized tissues are determined by microstructural tissue organization and relative composition of organic, mineral, and water phases. We combine nanoindentation and quantitative backscattered electron (qBSE) imaging to understand how these factors influence material properties at the ultrastructural and tissue level. Developmental stages of equine tooth enamel provide a good situation for studying the effects of enamel prism orientation and mineralization. Equine cheek teeth continue to form new enamel whilst mature tissue is being worn away. Hence we can study graded mineral content that increases with enamel maturity. Hunter-Schreger bands (HSBs) containing enamel prisms of contrasting orientations allow investigation of the effect of orientation on modulus. An equine second mandibular molar (2-year-old) was embedded in poly-methylmethacrylate, sectioned longitudinally, polished, carbon coated, imaged in qBSE, and subjected to nanoindentation testing. Elastic modulus increases significantly during maturation as enamel protein matrix degradation makes space for increased mineral content with closer proximity of enamel crystals, finally reaching values exceeding 80 GPa for little further increase in mineral content. Indentations spanning HSBs in immature, poorly mineralized enamel yielded modulus values that varied with prism orientation in a sinusoidal pattern where modulus varies by as much as a factor of three. Nanoindentation helps to elucidate how the composition and ultrastructural organization of enamel contribute to mechanical properties. INTRODUCTION Dental enamel, the hardest mineralized tissue in mammals, has an ultrastructural organization that is uniquely organized to facilitate function and prevent undesirable mechanical failure. The tissue is formed by ameloblasts, the innermost layer of cells of the epithelial ‘enamel organ’, which secrete a noncollagenous protein matrix that begins to mineralize within minutes. This level of mineralization initially rises rapidly where the enamel crystals increase in diameter (but not in number). The completion of enamel mineralization occurs long after the full thickness of the tissue has been formed at any one developmental level on the tooth. This maturation process is under the active control of ameloblasts, after these cells have undergone a radical transformation following the cessation of their secretory activity. Mature ameloblasts undergo cyclical changes in morphology and function to permit mineral ion ingress to grow existing enamel crystals and degrade enamel protein matrix, and facilitate egress of breakdo
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