Stratification of fluoride uptake among enamel crystals with age elucidated by atom probe tomography

Stratification of fluoride uptake among enamel crystals with age elucidated by atom probe tomography

Blog Article

Abstract Dental enamel is subjected to a lifetime of de- and re-mineralization cycles in the oral environment, the cumulative effects of which cause embrittlement with age.However, the understanding of atomic hus726040als214 scale mechanisms of dental enamel aging is still at its infancy, particularly regarding where compositional differences occur in the hydroxyapatite nanocrystals and what underlying mechanisms might be responsible.Here, we use atom probe tomography to compare enamel from a young (22 years old) and a senior hp 15-da0008ca (56 years old) adult donor tooth.

Findings reveal that the concentration of fluorine is elevated in the shells of senior nanocrystals relative to young, with less significant differences between the cores or intergranular phases.It is proposed that the embrittlement of enamel is driven, at least in part, by the infusion of fluorine into the nanocrystals and that the principal mechanism is de- and re-mineralization cycles that preferentially erode and rebuild the nanocrystals shells.