During my presentation, there is something I was mistaken about. I had read both that saliva helps to remineralize teeth, and that enamel is formed at the rate of 4 micrometers/year through a process known as amelogenesis. Amelogenesis, however, occurs in the development stage of teeth. While saliva does help protect teeth through remineralization, this protection is not regenerative, but preventative. I read a little bit about several of studies related to this and have posted the urls below:
http://iadr.confex.com/iadr/2002SanDiego/techprogram/abstract_7806.htm
http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/els/00039969/2001/00000046/00000008/art00034
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=6953245&dopt=Abstract
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
Thanks for the update Doug! That is very interesting to know. I learn in anatomy class that enamel is composed of hydroxyaptite crystals (calcium phosphate) and only 3% inorganic substance. This makes it the hardest substance in our body. It's not capable of any regeneration so once it's gone it's irreplaceable. That's why it is very important to take good care of our teeth. Dentin is the second hardest substance in our body. It is composed of 25% organic substance making it a little bit softer than enamel. It has limited regeneration. It's the inner layer out of teeth whereas the enamel is on the outside. If you actually look closely at your teeth in the mirror you can distinguish the two layers apart! Amazing isn't it?
Post a Comment