| About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
2023 TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition
|
| Symposium
|
2023 Technical Division Student Poster Contest
|
| Presentation Title |
SPG-56: Nanoscale Differences in Tooth Enamel with Aging by Atom Probe Tomography |
| Author(s) |
Jack Grimm, Cameron Renteria, Arun Devaraj, Dwayne D. Arola |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Jack Grimm |
| Abstract Scope |
Dental enamel, the hardest tissue in the human body, endures decades of mastication and other functions without catastrophic failure. At the nanoscale, this biological composite consists of hydroxyapatite mineral nanocrystals surrounded by a thin (several nm) layer of amorphous mineral and organic residues. These intergranular components, as well as the hierarchical microstructure of this tissue are hypothesized to be responsible for the exceptional resistance to fracture. However, the enamel of adult teeth becomes increasingly brittle and prone to fracture with chronological aging. Compositional changes induced by extended exposure to the oral environment are undoubtedly responsible for the embrittlement of enamel with age but are not well understood. This study applies atom probe tomography to compare composition with nanometer resolution between teeth from young and old donors. The older tooth showed a decrease in organic content and an increase in trace ions in the intergranular region, corresponding with increased brittleness. |
| Proceedings Inclusion? |
Undecided |
| Keywords |
Biomaterials, Characterization, |