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The tooth: An analogue for biomimetic materials design and processing.
1Kings College London, United Kingdom.
Dental Materials : Official Publication of the Academy of Dental Materials
|September 24, 2019
Summary
Human tooth structures, like enamel and dentin, offer a blueprint for creating advanced, tough bioinspired materials. Understanding their hierarchical design reveals key properties for material innovation.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Materials Engineering
- Dental Research
Background:
- Human enamel and dentin exhibit complex hierarchical structures that dictate their mechanical properties.
- These natural structures provide a unique model for understanding material toughness and damage tolerance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the hierarchical structure-property relationships of human tooth components: enamel, dentoenamel junction (DEJ), and dentin.
- To explore how these natural structures can serve as templates for designing advanced, tough materials.
Main Methods:
- A comprehensive literature review of dental, engineering, and ceramic publications from the last 20 years.
- Searched databases including PubMed, Science Direct, and Google Scholar for studies on enamel and dentin characterization, structure-property relationships, and bioinspired materials.
Main Results:
- Enamel's hierarchical structure (3 levels studied, 4th level proposed) and decussation patterns inspire 3D printed ceramic structures.
- The dentoenamel junction acts as a crack arrestor and stress reducer, informing the design of stronger dental ceramics.
- Dentin's compliant nature supports enamel and may aid in microcrack repair, though its complex structure requires further modeling.
Conclusions:
- The multi-level hierarchical organization of tooth structures, especially enamel, provides a robust, damage-tolerant system.
- These natural designs are invaluable for inspiring the development of novel, high-performance bioinspired materials.
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