Quantitative microradiography of intact and worn human coronal dentine

Abstract

The mineral content of the incisai part of the coronal dentine of intact and worn teeth per unit volume was determined by means of quantitative contact microradiography. In the buccal to lingual direction, a zonated pattern of mineralization was evident. In the intact teeth, the highest values for the mineral content were at the central streak between the incisal tip of the dentine and the pulp horn (50 per cent). A narrow zone of dentine adjacent to the central streak contained about 45 per cent minerals and the bulk of dentine about 48 per cent, whereas the mineral content of the mantle dentine averaged 42 per cent. Only small variations in the degree of mineralization were found in this area of the coronal dentine between teeth at various age levels. In the worn teeth, an increase in the mineral content of the incisai dentine was evident at all levels between the exposed surface and the pulp horn. Centrally in the worn dentine, the increase was about 4 per cent whereas laterally the increase averaged 2 per cent.