The great durability of our teeth has been something of a mystery for a long time. While your bones contain living cells that are capable of growing new tissues and regenerating, your dentin is pretty much a solid mass of minerals. So, how can any of your tooth structure manage to survive for a normal human lifetime? Some recent research may shine some light on this topic.
According to a team at Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin in Germany, mineral nanoparticles found in your dentin are “pre-compressed”. In industrial applications, compression is used to strengthen materials for heavy-duty gears, turbine blades, or similar items. Your teeth achieves the same effect to resist damage, and prevent any cracks that may form from traveling all the way to the sensitive pulp tissues in the center of the tooth.
In the future, this research may lead to the creation of stronger ceramic materials for prosthetic teeth. Until such a time, you can always rely on our Lynnwood dentistry clinic for reliable restorative dentistry.
