Development of Mineralization
The Development of Mineralization Group studies composition and function of teeth and bones, focusing on understanding the arrangement and mechanical adaptation of two complementary types of materials: tooth dentine versus rodent bone material.
You are here:
Principles of deformation resistance in human tooth dentine
We determined the Young's modulus and Poisson's ratio of apatite nano-particles in dentine. These engineering parameters define the elastic mechanical properties from which the properties of the teeth (and bones) are derived. We have also showen that residual stresses are built into the tooth nanostructures, and they help arrest or prevent cracks from penetrating towards the pulp. Collagen fibers and mineral particles are strongly linked adding to the strength and toughness of the material, something that is yet to be achieved by artificial materials.
Typical human dentin microstructure: a) Scanning electron micrograph taken from a fractured root surface; mineralized collagen fibers (*) form a matrix in which tubules (arrowed) are located; scale bar = 2 µm; b) Schematic illustration of idealized dentin microstructure, in which tubules (yellow hollow cylinders), radiating outwards from the pulp (not shown), are surrounded by layers of mineralized collagen fibers (brown rods, *), oriented mostly orthogonally to the tubule axis.