Podcast
Questions and Answers
What percentage of enamel's weight is composed of inorganic constituents?
What percentage of enamel's weight is composed of inorganic constituents?
What is the primary function of enamel in the tooth?
What is the primary function of enamel in the tooth?
What is the composition of enamel's organic matrix?
What is the composition of enamel's organic matrix?
Where does the enamel meet the cementum?
Where does the enamel meet the cementum?
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Why is the enamel thicker on the cusps of molars and premolars?
Why is the enamel thicker on the cusps of molars and premolars?
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What is the characteristic of enamel that allows it to act as a semipermeable membrane?
What is the characteristic of enamel that allows it to act as a semipermeable membrane?
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Study Notes
Enamel Characteristics
- Enamel is the only ectodermal derivative of the tooth.
- It is the hardest calcified tissue in the human body, with high mineralization.
- Enamel forms a protective covering of the tooth crown to resist stress during mastication.
Composition and Structure
- Enamel does not contain vessels and nerves.
- It is the only hard tissue that does not have collagen in its organic matrix.
- Enamel is translucent, with a color range from yellowish white to grayish white.
- Its inorganic constituents account for 96% by weight, mainly calcium phosphate in the form of hydroxyapatite crystals.
Physical Properties
- Enamel is brittle with low tensile strength, similar to ceramics.
- Its thickness varies, with maximum thickness on the cusps of molars and premolars, and thinning to almost a knife edge at the neck of the tooth.
- Enamel is thicker on the lingual surfaces of maxillary molars and on the buccal surfaces of mandibular molars.
Functional Properties
- Enamel acts as a semipermeable membrane due to the presence of cracks and microscopic spaces on the surface.
- This allows for complete or partial penetration of some fluids, bacteria, and other products of the oral cavity.
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Description
Learn about the characteristics and features of tooth enamel, the hardest calcified tissue in the human body. Discover its role in protecting the tooth crown and its unique composition.
