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ENAMEL

The document discusses the physical and chemical characteristics of enamel. Enamel is the hard, outer layer of teeth that protects against decay. It is composed primarily of hydroxyapatite crystals and enamel protein. Enamel has a rod-like structure with enamel rods running perpendicular to the tooth surface. Within the rods are enamel rod sheaths and interrod enamel. Lines that appear in enamel, such as cross-striations and lines of Retzius, indicate daily and growth variations during enamel formation.

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Alyssa Lumaad
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84 views2 pages

ENAMEL

The document discusses the physical and chemical characteristics of enamel. Enamel is the hard, outer layer of teeth that protects against decay. It is composed primarily of hydroxyapatite crystals and enamel protein. Enamel has a rod-like structure with enamel rods running perpendicular to the tooth surface. Within the rods are enamel rod sheaths and interrod enamel. Lines that appear in enamel, such as cross-striations and lines of Retzius, indicate daily and growth variations during enamel formation.

Uploaded by

Alyssa Lumaad
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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ENAMEL  Contain more enamel protein/

organic matrix & recrystallized


 Hard, outer surface layer of teeth hydroxyapatite crystals
 Serves to protect against tooth decay  More acid-resistant than other
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS regions
3. Interrod enamel
 Hardest calcified tissue  Substance that cements the
 Harder or more mineralized at the rods together
surface  More calcified than rod sheath
 Brittle- underlying resilient dentin but less calcified than the rod
necessary to maintain integrity itself
 Color: white to grayish white but
appears slightly yellow because it is DIRECTIONS OF THE ENAMEL RODS
translucent  Generally perpendicular to the
 Tooth color is determined by surface or the dentin (right
the enamel thickness angle to the dentino-enamel
 Provides shape and contour of the junction)
crown A. GNARLED ENAMEL
 Thickness in different areas:  Rods appear twisted around
 Thickest: crest of cusps or each other in a complex
incisal edges (2.0-2.5 mm) arrangement
 Thicker: fissure and pit of  Offers greatest resistance to the
lingual, facial, and interproximal cusp and incisal areas where
surfaces (1.0-1.5 mm) most forces are applied
 Thinnest: cervical region B. HUNTER SCHREGGER BANDS
CHEMICAL COMPOSTION  Appear as dark and light
alternating zones
A. Inorganic material (96-98% by weight) C. TRANSVERSE STRIATION
 Crystalline calcium phosphate =  Dark lines crossing the rods
hydroxyapatite crystals (chief  Indicate the daily variation in
inorganic content) the secretory activity of the
B. Organic substances (2-4% by weight) ameloblasts
 Soluble and insoluble proteins  Periodic bands/ cross-striations
STRUCTURES OF ENAMEL INCREMENTAL LINES
1. Enamel rods 1. Incremental lines of Retzius
 Basic structural unit of enamel  Growth lines
 Described as hexagonal or  Brownish band in ground
prism-like but appropriately section
described as cylindrical rod  Reflects variation in structure
 Has a pattern of horse-shoe and and mineralization
paddle-shaped with a head and  Prominent in most human
tail permanent teeth
2. Enamel rod sheath  Less prominent in post-natal
 Rod’s surface deciduous enamel
 Rare in prenatal enamel
 In cross section, lines of
retzius appears as
concentric rings or
annual rings similar to
trees
2. Perikymata/ Imbrication lines of Pickerill
 Represent the lines of retzius as
they meet at the surface
enamel
 Single-like overlapping
arrangement
3. Neonatal line
 An accentuated, brownish line
that reflects the marked
physiologic changes occurring
at birth
 most primary teeth and
permanent central incisors have
these
4. Enamel tufts
 originate at the dentino-enamel
junction (DEJ)
 resembles tufts of grass
growing out of the root
 composed of hypomineralized
enamel rods
5. Enamel lamellae
 Visible cracks on the surface of
the enamel
 Confused with cracks caused by
grinding
 Represent site of weakness
 Functions as possible avenue
for dental caries
6. Dentino- enamel junction
 Scallop-liked junction-
concavities toward dentin
7. Enamel spindle
 Filled with dentinal fluid
 Seen as black/ dark irregular/
spiral shaped structures
 One of the factors that cause
the sensitivity of dentino-
enamel junction

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