Tooth enamel

Tooth enamel is the highly mineralized outer covering of a tooth crown. It protects the underlying dentin but cannot regenerate after substantial loss.

Hydroxyapatite: A calcium phosphate mineral that forms the principal crystalline component of bone and tooth enamel. Enamel crystals consist mainly of a carbonate-containing form of hydroxyapatite.
Dental caries: A disease in which acids produced by dental biofilms demineralize tooth tissues and form lesions. Repeated mineral loss can progress through enamel into dentin.
Dental sealant: A protective coating placed over the pits and fissures of teeth to reduce decay risk. Sealants shield vulnerable enamel grooves from plaque and food debris.
Cementum: A mineralized tissue covering the roots of teeth and providing attachment for periodontal ligament fibers. Unlike enamel, cementum covers roots and continues forming slowly throughout life.
Enamel hypoplasia: A developmental defect in which too little enamel forms, leaving pits, grooves, or thin areas. Its patterns can reveal when illness or nutritional stress disrupted enamel formation.
Ameloblast: A specialized cell that secretes and matures tooth enamel during tooth development. Ameloblasts build enamel before eruption, then disappear from the tooth surface.
Demineralization: The removal of mineral ions from a solid mineralized tissue or material. Acids dissolve enamel crystals by drawing calcium and phosphate from them.
Tooth bleaching: The lightening of tooth color, usually through peroxide-based chemicals that oxidize stains. Bleaching changes tooth appearance through enamel and can cause temporary sensitivity.
Bone: A living mineralized connective tissue that supports the body and continually remodels. Bone remodels throughout life, while mature enamel has no living cells.
Molar-incisor hypomineralization: A developmental condition causing demarcated areas of weak enamel, chiefly in first permanent molars and incisors. Its cause remains uncertain, and affected enamel can break down after eruption.

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