Structure of crystals in dental enamel and synthetic hydroxyapatite
Biological apatites in dental enamel, dentine and bone closely resemble, in chemical composition, the mineral hydroxyapatite with the unit cell Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2. Substitutions occur frequently, e.g. fluoride in place of hydroxy groups, carbonate for phosphate, and with other elements such as magnesium, zinc, strontium, and lead instead of calcium. The substituents are known to influence the response of the material to attack by dilute organic acids and are, therefore, of importance in the process of dental caries.The sub-lattice resolution available with some modern electron microscopes makes it feasible to attempt detection of the effect of substituted groups on the structure of the hydroxyapatite crystals. As a starting point in such a venture we have obtained high-resolution images of apatite crystals and used computer image calculation techniques to interpret the micrographs at near-atomic resolution.