Spectroscopic imaging of mineral maturation in bovine dentin

Dentin is a useful model for the study of mineral maturation. Using Fourier Transform Infrared Imaging (FTIRI), we characterized distinct regions in developing dentin at 7- micro m spatial resolution. Mineral-to-matrix ratio and crystallinity in bovine dentin from cervical and incisal parts of 3rd-trimester fetal compared with one-year-old incisor crowns showed that virtually all maturation stages in dentin could be spectroscopically isolated and analyzed. In the fetal incisors, mantle and circumpulpal dentin presented distinct patterns of mineral maturation. Gradients in both mineral properties examined were observed at the mineralization front and at the dentino-enamel junction.