Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
a
b
0
0
5
5
10
10
5
5
10
15
10
15
15
15
[µm]
[µm]
c
d
0
0
5
5
10
10
5
5
10
10
15
15
15
15
[µm]
[µm]
e
f
0
0
5
5
10
10
5
5
10
15
10
15
15
15
[µm]
[µm]
Fig. 4.24
Three-dimensional AFM micrograph of the enamel at different depths [
56
]: (
a
) the
control outer enamel; (
b
) the eroded outer enamel; (
c
) the control intermediate enamel; (
d
) the
eroded intermediate enamel; (
e
) the control interior enamel; (
f
) the eroded interior enamel
mastication, then protecting the high mineralized enamel from brittle crack.
However, Wang et al. observed that the demineralization of enamel began at the
core-wall interfaces of rods [
59
]. Thus, it could be inferred that both the interfaces
between rods and interrod enamel and the interfaces between hydroxyapatite crys-
tallites and enamelin within rods would act as channels of an acid agent when the
enamel is exposed in acidic solution. It has been widely reported that the mineral
concentration of enamel decreases from the natural surface to the DEJ [
10
,
51
,
60
,
61
].
A reduction in mineralization was associated with more organic phases and
increased porosity. In other words, more channels of an acid agent might exist
