Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 5, 2026
06:16
Microhardness Measurements on Tooth and Alveolar Bone in Rodent Oral Disease Models
Published on: April 26, 2024
[Microdiffraction measurements of natural tooth by high resolution X-ray diffraction equipment]
Jing Xue1, Wei Li, Yunmao Liao
1Key Lab. of Oral Biomedical Engineering of Ministry of Education, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.
Summary
Tooth enamel and dentin are primarily hydroxyapatite. Dental caries alters hydroxyapatite crystal structure, reducing crystallinity and size, which can be studied using X-ray diffraction (XRD).
Area of Science:
- Mineralogy
- Biomineralization
- Crystallography
Context:
- Natural teeth are primarily composed of calcium apatite, predominantly in the form of hydroxyapatite.
- Tooth decay (caries) involves changes and decomposition of the crystalline hydroxyapatite structure.
- High-resolution X-ray diffraction (XRD) is a suitable technique for analyzing tooth mineral composition.
Purpose:
- To analyze the crystalline structure and properties of hydroxyapatite in healthy tooth enamel, dentin, and carious tissue.
- To investigate the changes in hydroxyapatite crystallite dimensions and crystallinity associated with dental caries.
- To demonstrate the utility of high-resolution microdiffraction XRD for studying dental tissues.
Summary:
- Analysis of natural tooth samples (enamel, dentin, caries) using high-resolution XRD revealed hydroxyapatite as the main crystal phase.
- Significant changes were observed in hydroxyapatite crystallite dimensions and crystallinity from normal enamel to carious tissue.
- The a-axis length of hydroxyapatite increased, while the c-axis remained constant, and crystal size and crystallinity decreased in carious tissue.
Impact:
- Provides detailed crystallographic insights into the progression of dental caries.
- Highlights the sensitivity of hydroxyapatite structure to pathological changes in teeth.
- Establishes high-resolution microdiffraction XRD as a valuable tool for dental research and diagnostics.
Related Concept Videos
01:10X-ray Diffraction of Biological Samples
X-ray diffraction or XRD is an analytical tool that utilizes X-rays to study ordered structures such as crystalline organic and inorganic samples, polycrystalline materials, proteins, carbohydrates, and drugs.
According to Bragg's law, when X-rays strike the sample positioned on a stage, the rays are scattered by the electron clouds around the sample atoms. The X-ray diffraction or scattering is caused by constructive interference of the X-ray waves that reflect off the internal crystal...
According to Bragg's law, when X-rays strike the sample positioned on a stage, the rays are scattered by the electron clouds around the sample atoms. The X-ray diffraction or scattering is caused by constructive interference of the X-ray waves that reflect off the internal crystal...
01:29Determination of Crystal Structures
In the late 1800s, the revelation that light extended beyond visible wavelengths led to the discovery of X-rays by Wilhelm Roentgen. Recognized as high-energy electromagnetic radiation with short wavelengths, X-rays prompted exploration into their interaction with crystals. Max von Laue proposed in 1912 that the periodic arrangement of atoms, ions, or molecules in crystals would cause them to diffract X-rays, a hypothesis confirmed through experiments with copper sulfate and zinc sulfide...
02:18X-ray Crystallography
The size of the unit cell and the arrangement of atoms in a crystal may be determined from measurements of the diffraction of X-rays by the crystal, termed X-ray crystallography.
Diffraction
Diffraction is the change in the direction of travel experienced by an electromagnetic wave when it encounters a physical barrier whose dimensions are comparable to those of the wavelength of the light. X-rays are electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths about as long as the distance between neighboring...
Diffraction
Diffraction is the change in the direction of travel experienced by an electromagnetic wave when it encounters a physical barrier whose dimensions are comparable to those of the wavelength of the light. X-rays are electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths about as long as the distance between neighboring...