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Published on: March 29, 2018
A comparative analysis of the structure of the dentinoenamel junction in mammals
C A Oliveira1, L P Bergqvist, S R Line
1Department of Morphology, Faculdade de Odontologia de Piracicaba, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Piracicaba-SP, Brazil.
Abstract:
Studies of the gross morphology and microstructure of teeth have provided a great deal of information about the function and evolution of mammals. Among the structural features studied, the dentinoenamel junction has received relatively little attention. In the present work, we used ground sections to perform a comparative analysis of the structure of the dentinoenamel junction (DEJ) among diverse mammalian species. Among the species studied, only two (human and Miguelsoria parayirunhor) presented a scalloped DEJ. In the other 14 species analyzed, the DEJ surface was formed by tiny spikes and depressions, corresponding to the impression of enamel prisms. Our results show that the topography of the DEJ in the analyzed taxa apparently does not relate to dietary, functional or structural features.
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