ENAMEL

FEATURES OF THE ENAMEL

• Enamel is:
I. Highly mineralized
II. Crystalline
III. Hardest tissue in the body
IV. Acellular, insensitive
V. No nerve endings, avascular (non-vital)
VI. Cannot be replaced or repaired (bc ameloblasts are lost)
VII. Not a static tissue (subjected to some changes like remineralization)
VIII. Protective to dentin (resist force of mastication)
IX. Organic matrix of enamel is unique composed of enamel proteins and is non-collagenous.
 PHYSICAL PROPERTIES

• Thickness:
a. Variable thickness.
b. Maximum thickness of 2mm in incisal edges and 2.5mm over cusps of molars & PM.
c. Knife edge thin at cervical margins of perm teeth
d. Thick margin at cervical margins in deciduous teeth

• Hardness:
a. Hardest tissue in the body due to high mineral content > 96%
b. Strict crystalline arrangement (interlocked together)
c. Hardness decreases from surface to deeper regions and from cuspal to cervical regions.
d. Perm teeth have harder enamel than deciduous teeth
e. Brittle in nature and therefore underlying tough dentin support is very essential
 PHYSICAL PROPERTIES

• Permeability:
a. Will allow complete or partial passage of certain molecules due to the spaces between the crystals of enamel
b. Acts like a semi-permeable membrane.
c. Has a lesser degree of permeability from the pulp to inner enamel layer across the dentin
• Solubility:
a. Enamel is soluble in acids.
b. Surface enamel is less soluble.

• Color & Translucency:

a. Color of enamel covered crown ranges from Yellowish white to Grayish white.
b. Color determined by translucency of enamel.
c. Incisal areas may have a blueish tinge where the thin edge consists only of enamel
d. Yellowish teeth- thin, translucent enamel allowing yellow color of dentin to show through.
e. Grayish teeth- more thick and opaque enamel.
 CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF ENAMEL

Constitution:
• Inorganic matter- 96% by weight. 89% by volume
• Organic matter and Water- 4% by weight, 11% by volume
Inorganic Matter:
• Consists of calcium and phosphorus ions (HYDROXYPATITE CRYSTALS)\
• Crystals are hexagonal in shape (rod with hexagonal base)
• Crystals of enamel are extremely large and plate like
Organic Matter:
• Form a fine network surrounding the condensed crystals
• Doesn’t originate from CT (no collagen fibres)
• Water is present between crystals and at pores present between crystals
• Enamel proteins and Lipids
• Amelogenins (90%); Enamelin(10%)
 METHODS USED TO STUDY ENAMEL

• We study enamel using a light microscope using ground sections

• It is difficult to study enamel using decalcified sections due to the high mineral content, which appears as an empty
space as it has dissolved and been washed away

STRUCTURE OF ENAMEL

• Enamel rods
• Rod sheath
• interrods
 ENAMEL RODS

• Are the fundamental structural unit of enamel.

• Each rod extends from its site of origin at the dentino-enamel junction (DEJ) to the outer surface of enamel.
• The rods are roughly cylindrical in the longitudinal section.
• Average diameter of 3-4 microns near DEJ; diameter increases gradually to the surface at a ratio of 1:2, length is
2.5 cm
• Number of rods varies from 5 million in lower incisors to 12 million in upper 1st molars
 ENAMEL RODS (CONTINUED)

• In transverse section, the enamel rods have a keyhole shape with a head formed by the rod and a tail formed by interrod
enamel immediately cervical to it.
• Tail fits into area created by convexities of adjacent rounded head.
• Head directed towards incisal edge or cusp tip DUE TO DIFFERENT CRYSTALLINE ORIENTATION

Four ameloblasts are responsible for the formation of the keyhole shape. 1 for
the head and 3 for the tail.
• They can also appear as hexagonal, round, oval or fish scales.
 ENAMEL RODS (CONTINUED)

• From DEJ - wavy tortuous course towards outer surface of tooth.

• Cuspal & incisal edges - rods run perpendicular from DEJ to outer surface.
• On lateral surfaces - rods run obliquely from DEJ to outer surface.
• In dev pits & fissure on occlusal aspect - rods converge in their outward course
• Rods are never straight because of oblique direction and wavy course.
• Rods in cuspal region longer than those in cervical.
 CRYSTAL ORIENTATION

• UNDER ELECTRON MICROSCOPE: enamel rods appear to be tightly packed with hydroxyapatite crystals and the
precise change in the orientation of those crystallites gives rise to the enamel regions; rods, inter-rod regions and
rod sheath
• Enamel rods are made up of crystals whose long axis mostly runs parallel to the longitudinal axis of the rod
• Inter-rod regions: enamel rods are separated from each other’s by highly calcified inter-rod substance, which has
the same composition as the rod but with different crystalline orientation.
 ROD SHEATH

• It is found where enamel rods, the functional unit of enamel, meet interrod enamel.
• The crystals of both types of enamel meet at sharp angles and form the appearance of a space called the rod
sheath.
• As a result of this space, the rod sheath consists of more protein (as opposed to minerals) than other areas of
enamel.
• For this reason, the rod sheath is characterized as being hypomineralized in comparison to the rest of the highly
mineralized enamel.
 MICROSCOPIC FEATURES OF MATURE ENAMEL:
DEJ

• DEJ between mature enamel and dentin appears as a scalloped line in ground sections of the tooth
• Convex → toward the dentin
• Concave → toward the enamel
• Firm attachment is due to the interlocking between the fibrils and hydroxyapatite crystals of first formed layers of
enamel and dentin.
 MICROSCOPIC FEATURES OF MATURE ENAMEL:
INCREMENTAL LINES

• Incremental growth lines. In enamel, these growth lines are known as Incremental Lines of Retzius or Striae of Retzius.
• During amelogenesis, enamel grows in an appositional process characterized by growth and rest

Types of Incremental Lines:

1) Cross striations (Short increments)
2) Incremental lines of Retzius
3) Neonatal lines
 SHORT INCREMENTS (CROSS STRIATIONS)

• In a partially decalcified ground section, the enamel rods appear to be divided in to uniform segments which
are separated by fine dark lines. These periodic lines are called as cross striations.
• Cross striations are arranged perpendicular to the enamel rods, at a regular distance of 4 m giving striated
appearance to the enamel. Thus each segment is of 4 microns length, representing the daily deposition of enamel by
ameloblasts.
• The arrow is pointing at the long perpendicular cross striations, not the oblique one
 INCREMENTAL LINES OF RETZIUS

• Dark brown bands

• Major lines
• At the external surface of enamel they end as a transverse depression known as perikymata
• In longitudinal section:
▫ Start at DEJ and run obliquely outward.
▫ Reach surface of enamel at buccal & lingual surfaces of teeth but not in region of cusps & incisal edges
In transverse section:
• seen as concentric rings parallel to the DEJ
• Lines denote the weekly formation of enamel matrix
• 4 days are needed for formation of enamel matrix between 2 bands by ameloblasts; 16m
• Broad incremental lines are produced by systemic disturbances