ILINOIS: A group of researchers recently observed the crystalline structure of enamel rods, and interrod enamel, to predict the future trend of possible dental decay.
This research could potentially allow dental practitioners to predict an individual’s future dental health by highlighting the inundated structural differences in the enamel, on which its lifespan is dependent.
Prof Derk Joester, co-author of the study, said “In order to understand how enamel dissolves when it’s exposed to acids that is produced by biofilms and bacteria in the mouth, it is important to understand it at all of the length scales,” Joester said.
This four year long study, was also co-authored by Karen DeRocher, a postdoctoral research associate at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, who worked at Prof Derk's lab in 2020.
Karen DeRocher said “We were looking at how the composition or crystal packing can affect the organised structure of crystallites,” she said. “We were also looking to see if there were any chemical gradients across a single crystal.”
The researchers revealed that magnesium, sodium, and fluorine were found to be present at the crystalline boundaries. DeRocher said that a visible demarcation in a crystal core and boundary can make them more susceptible to acid dissolution.
This research concluded that each enamel rod consists of oblong, thin crystallite structures. Whilst the composition of the rods is in strict alignment, the space between the enamel rods is less organised, making is more vulnerable to acid attack.
