Abstract
The distinct architecture of native enamel gives it its exquisite appearance and excellent intrinsic-extrinsic fracture toughening properties. However, damage to the enamel is irreversible. At present, the clinical treatment for enamel lesion is an invasive method; besides, its limitations, caused by the chemical and physical difference between restorative materials and dental hard tissue, makes the restorative effects far from ideal. With more investigations on the mechanism of amelogenesis, biomimetic mineralization techniques for enamel regeneration have been well developed, which hold great promise as a non-invasive strategy for enamel restoration. This review disclosed the chemical and physical mechanism of amelogenesis; meanwhile, it overviewed and summarized studies involving the regeneration of enamel microstructure in cell-free biomineralization approaches, which could bring new prospects for resolving the challenges in enamel regeneration.
Highlights
Dental hard tissue is comprised of enamel, dentine and cementum
These are periodically arranged across an organic surface and are associated with a macromolecular matrix, which involves the role of molecular interactions in controlling oriented nucleation at the matrix-mineral interface [57]
ALN-modified Polyamidoamine dendrimer (PAMAM)-COOH shows a highly organized orientation aligning along the crystal c-axis, which triggers crystal nucleation by its peripherical carboxyl domains to attract calcium ions, and induces the formation of enamel-like crystals parallelly growing along the c-axis of the original enamel prisms [70]
Summary
Dental hard tissue is comprised of enamel, dentine and cementum. The bulk of the dental hard tissue is dentin, which covers the dental soft tissue (dental pulp) lying at the core of the tooth. Current investigations into the mechanisms of amelogenesis have uncovered a diverse range of novel biomimetic strategies which the aim of reconstructing subsurface enamel lesions using remineralization processes. All biomimetic strategies utilize an organic matrices template to control the nucleation, growth and features of HA crystals in order to regenerate enamel-like structures. The highly oriented microstructure of enamel consists of crystals arranged in prisms or rods which run perpendicular from the dentine-enamel junction towards the tooth surface This configuration leads to anisotropy of mechanical properties; enamel represents the hardest tissue in the human body. The Young’s moduli of enamel measured are in the range of 85–90 GPa parallel and 70–77 GPa perpendicular to the crystal rod axis; the mean hardness 4.79 GPa parallel and 3.8 GPa perpendicular to the enamel rods; and toughness approximately 0.7 ± 0.02 MPa*m1/2 [35]
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