Examining Enamel

Pearly whites, gnashers – whatever you call them, you’ve got to look after your teeth. Virtually everyone, at some point, will suffer tooth decay, whether it requires a minor filing or a major root canal. Regular brushing helps to fight this decay, of course, but scientists are also pitching-in to the collective battle against tooth rot. Some researchers, for example, are examining the structure of enamel – the teeth’s tough glossy coating – in the hope of finding ways to protect or rebuild it. Using a technique called laser-assisted atom probe tomography, which enables the 3D analysis of the atomic architecture of materials, they’ve obtained the most detailed view to date of enamel’s composition (pictured). This atomic map, which reveals, among other things, the distribution of magnesium ions – important for enamel formation – is providing important clues as to how enamel forms and erodes, and thus how best to maintain brilliant smiles for life.

Written by Ruth Williams

Ruth Williams

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Ruth is a freelance science journalist based in the US. She's a regular correspondent for The Scientist, and her work has appeared in The Lancet, Nature, Scientific American Mind, BBC Focus and elsewhere. Twitter @rooph

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• Image courtesy of Tom Hartley, University of Sydney
• Faculty of Engineering & Information Technologies, University of Sydney, Australia
• Image copyright held by the photographer
• Research published in Science Advances, September 2016