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Mechanical properties of human enamel as a function of age and location in the tooth

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Abstract

Aging and the related changes in mechanical behavior of hard tissues of the human body are becoming increasingly important. In this study the influence of aging on the mechanical behavior of human enamel was evaluated using 3rd molars from young (18 ≤ age ≤ 30 years) and old (55 ≤ age) patients. The hardness and elastic modulus were quantified using nanoindentation as a function of distance from the Dentin–Enamel Junction (DEJ) and within three different regions of the crown (i.e. cervical, cuspal and inter-cuspal enamel). Results of the evaluation showed that the elastic modulus and hardness increased with distance from the DEJ in all three regions examined, regardless of patient age. The largest increases with distance from the DEJ occurred within the cervical region of the old enamel. Overall, the results showed that there were no age-dependent differences in properties of enamel near the DEJ. However, near the tooth’s surface, both the hardness (p < 0.025) and elastic modulus (p < 0.0001) were significantly greater in the old enamel. At the surface of the tooth the average elastic modulus of “old” enamel was nearly 20% greater than that of enamel from the young patients.

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Notes

  1. K.O. Lee Model S3818EL, Aberdeen, SD.

  2. Hysitron Triboindenter, Minneapolis, MN.

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Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully acknowledge that the investigation was made possible by support from the National Science Foundation (Award #: BES 0521467).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Maryland Baltimore County, 1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, MD, 21250, USA

    Saejin Park & Dwayne Arola

  2. School of Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Kyungnam University, Masan, 631-701, South Korea

    Duck H. Wang

  3. Department of Mechanics, Shanghai University, Shanghai, 200444, China

    Dongsheng Zhang

  4. Department of Health Promotion and Policy, Baltimore College of Dental Surgery, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA

    Elaine Romberg

  5. Department of Endodontics, Prosthodontics, and Operative Dentistry, Baltimore College of Dental Surgery, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA

    Dwayne Arola

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  1. Saejin Park
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  2. Duck H. Wang
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  3. Dongsheng Zhang
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  4. Elaine Romberg
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  5. Dwayne Arola
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Correspondence to Dwayne Arola.

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Park, S., Wang, D.H., Zhang, D. et al. Mechanical properties of human enamel as a function of age and location in the tooth. J Mater Sci: Mater Med 19, 2317–2324 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10856-007-3340-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10856-007-3340-y

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