Cracking Teeth

Take a look at smiling photos of yourself and you won’t spot these but they’re there. Microcracks (MCs). These tiny cracks in the hard outer coating of your teeth (enamel) develop with age. How do they affect tooth structure and integrity? Researchers investigate using X-ray micro-computed tomography of four extracted human teeth. Image processing using specific algorithms allowed the team to create 3D images of the density of the enamel (top row) and softer inner tissue (dentine, middle row), as well as MCs (bottom row) from different angles (left to right). This revealed an intricate star-shaped network of MCs that weren’t limited to the enamel but passed through into the dentine along two almost perpendicular planes. These healthy teeth nonetheless retained their structural integrity. MCs may therefore be involved in protecting tooth integrity from the strong forces applied to teeth daily. More research is needed to uncover how.

Written by Lux Fatimathas

Lux Fatimathas

Writer

Having pursued science through a career in research, communications and publishing, she is currently a writer and editor for a healthcare marketing agency and also juggles freelance science writing.

• Image from work by Irma Dumbryte and colleagues
• Institute of Odontology, Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania
• Image originally published with a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
• Published in Scientific Reports, December 2022