Study of Micromechanical Properties of Dentin by Brillouin Scattering (CAT#: STEM-ST-0147-YJL)

Introduction

Human dentin is an organized, hard, mineralized tissue of the tooth, composed of 70 wt% calcified tissue (hydroxyapatite), 20 wt% organic phase (mostly composed of collagen type I as well as other fibrils), and 10 wt% water. It is perfused with microtubules that allow sensory communication with the underlying pulp and nerves. This fiber-composite-like structure provides an anisotropic distribution of mechanical properties that support masticatory stress concentrated in the surrounding enamel. Tooth mechanical strength can be altered by diet, age or diseases such as caries or sclerosis. It is essential to characterize the mechanical properties of teeth to predict and understand tooth decay, design restorative dental procedures, and investigate their tribological behavior.