Lecture 9 Flashcards
What is the anatomical crown?
The part of the tooth that is covered by enamel
What is the clinical crown?
Part of the tooth exposed above the gingiva
What is the hardest part of the body? Second hardest?
Enamel. Dentin
About what percentage of enamel is composed of minerals? Percentage of dentin? Percentage of cementum?
Enamel is about 96% mineral.
Dentin about 70% mineral.
Cementum is about 45-60% miineral
What is the hardness of enamel similar to?
Mild steel
Is enamel malleable?
No it is not malleable, it is brittle
Why does dentin influence the color of enamel?
Because enamel is translucent and the underlying dentin tends to be yellow
What mineral is enamel mostly made of?
An apatite of calcium phosphate
What other minerals may be incorporated into enamel during its formation?
Strontium, magnesium, lead and fluoride
How can water and dissolved ions still be absorbed into mature enamel?
The slightly porous enamel, due to its crystalline organization, allows some water absorption
What are apatites?
Various chemical forms of calcium phosphate and other elements
Of the three common apatites in enamel, which is most common?
Hydroxyapatite
What concentration of chronic fluoride ingestion may cause flurosis? What is the recommended concentration of fluoride in drinking water?
5 ppm.
.7 to 1.2 ppm
What are enamel rods?
Hydroxyapatite crystals of enamel are organized into long, thin rods, sometimes called prisms.
How long can enamel rods be?
As long as the entire thickness of the enamel layer
What are enamel rods surrounded by?
By interlocking additional hydroxyapatite crystals
What are the three typical patterns of acid-etched enamel?
Rod preferentially eroded
Interrod preferentially eroded
Indiscriminate erosion
What type of force does the irregular shape of the DEJ help to resist?
Shearing force
What are enamel lamellae?
Linear defects that can span the full thickness of enamel
What are enamel lamellae filled with?
Organic material from trapped pieces of the enamel organ or CT surrounding the developing tooth
What are enamel tufts?
Higher concentration of enamel protein that projects a short distance from the DEJ into the enamel
What are enamel spindles?
Left over pieces of odontoblasts that extend into the ameloblast epithelium and become trapped there as enamel begins to form
Is dentin a living tissue?
Yes
What do the odontoblasts remain attached to throughout the life of the tooth?
DEJ
In which direction do odontoblasts grow from the DEJ?
To the pulp chamber
Why does the size of the pulp chamber and root canal become smaller with age?
Dentin continues to grow into the pulp
What are odontoblasts nourished by?
Blood vessels in the pulp
The odontoblasts processes extend to the DEJ via what structure?
Dentinal tubule
About how many tubules are there per square mm of dentin?
59,000-76,000