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Enamel, the hard mineral surface covering the visible part of our teeth, can be worn away by smoking, drinking soda, grinding, and brushing with excessive force. Once worn away, teeth can become extremely sensitive, and common activities such as eating can become painful. Here are ways to prevent enamel loss: more »
Porcelain veneers are a way to correct gaps and tooth staining without painful dental work. Your dentist will talk to you about your desires and expectations. She will then gather the information she needs to have your veneers crafted at a dental lab. The next step is to remove some of the enamel from your teeth and place temporary... more »
A tooth ache can develop from cavities, cracked enamel, gum disease, abscesses, infections and exposed roots. Cavities can cause tooth pain by eating through tooth enamel. As an example, sugar converts to acid in the mouth, which damages the enamel by eating away at it and softening it. It is this enamel which protects the pulp of the... more »
We all know that eating sweets and not brushing your teeth can cause cavities. However, many people do not realize that basic dental hygiene alone is not a foolproof way to avoid cavities. Many behaviors and eating habits contribute to oral health, and there may be some simple steps that you are not taking that could make a big... more »
A toothache can be a sign of an infection or of inflammation. A tooth that aches also is usually sensitive to sugar, cold foods, heat or pressure. The pain level of a toothache can range from mild to severe. If a toothache is not treated it can get worse. more »
Tooth decay caused by poor dental health can lead to deep cavities that need to be filled with a...
Cavities are the most frequently diagnosed problems with teeth around the world and can lead to...
Dental disorders are a very wide range of afflictions that occur in a patients mouth, teeth, and...
Ongoing toothache pain can quickly go from a minor irritant to a disabling problem that needs to...
PreviDent is a prescription-only topical fluoride used to prevent cavities--a serious problem in a nation where daily intake of sugary sodas by... more »
Tooth enamel is the dental tissue of the tooth that is normally visible and is supported by the underlying dentin. It is the hardest substance in... more »
Tooth enamel is a strong substance. On a daily basis it fends off sugar and acids from your sensitive nerves, while staying hard enough to chomp... more »
Many types of food and drinks can stain children's teeth. Next to poor dental hygiene, one of the most common reasons for black teeth is bottle... more »
Regularly scheduled dental cleanings will help you maintain good oral hygiene as well as throughouly clean your teeth and gums. Despite proper... more »
Cavities, one word no one wants to hear from their dentist. These small holes in the tooth enamel are caused by plaque formation which harbors... more »
Tooth enamel is the hardest and most highly mineralized substance of the body,"ross441">Ross et al., p. 441 and with dentin, cementum, and dental pulp is one of the four major tissues which make up the tooth in vertebrates. Tooth enamel is also found in the dermal denticles of sharks. It is the normally visible dental tissue of a tooth and must be supported by underlying dentin. Ninety-six percent of enamel consists of mineral, with water and organic material composing the rest.Cate, p. 1 The normal color of enamel varies from light yellow to grayish white. At the edges of teeth where there is no dentin underlying the enamel, the color sometimes has a slightly blue tone. Since enamel is semitranslucent, the color of dentin and any restorative dental material underneath the enamel strongly affects the appearance of a tooth. Enamel varies in thickness over the surface of the tooth and is often thickest at the cusp, up to 2.5 mm, and thinnest at its border, which is seen clinically as the cementoenamel junction (CEJ)."cate219">Cate, p. 219
Enamels primary mineral is hydroxylapatite, which is a crystalline calcium phosphate."johnson">Johnson The large amount of minerals in enamel accounts not only for its strength but also for its brittleness.Cate, p. 218 Tooth enamel ranks 5 on Mohs hardness scale and a Youngs modulus of 83 GPa. Dentin, less mineralized and less brittle, 3–4 in hardness, compensates for enamel and is necessary as a support."johnson"/>
Unlike dentin and bone, enamel does not contain collagen. Instead, it has two unique classes of proteins called amelogenins and enamelins. While the role of these proteins is not fully understood, it is believed that they aid in the development of enamel by serving as a framework support, among other functions.Cate, p. 198
Structure
The basic unit of enamel is called an enamel rod."johnson"/> Measuring 4–8 μm in diameter an enamel rod, formerly called an enamel prism, is a tightly pac read more at » http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tooth+enamel
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