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Contributions of microstructure and chemical composition to the mechanical properties of dentin

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Abstract

The influence of microstructural variations and chemical composition to the mechanical properties and apparent flaw sensitivity of dentin were evaluated. Rectangular beams (N = 80) of the deep and superficial coronal dentin were prepared from virgin 3rd molars; twenty beams of each region were nominally flaw free and the remainder possessed a single “surface flaw” via a Vickers indentation. Mechanical properties were estimated in four-point flexure and examined using Weibull statistics. Fourier Transform Infrared Microspectroscopy in Reflectance Mode (FTIR-RM) was used to quantify the relative mineral to collagen ratios. Results showed that the average flexural strength, and strain and energy to fracture of the deep dentin beams were significantly lower (P < 0.005) than for the superficial dentin. While the deep dentin exhibited the highest mineral/collagen ratio and lowest damage tolerance, there was no significant effect of the surface flaws. Weibull analyses suggest that deep dentin possesses a larger distribution of intrinsic flaw sizes that contributes to the location dependence in strength.

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Notes

  1. K.O. Lee Model S3818EL, Aberdeen, SD.

  2. HMV 2000, Micro Hardness Tester, Shimadzu, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan.

  3. EnduraTEC Model ELF 3200, Minnetonka, MN.

  4. Jeol JSM 5600, Peabody, MA.

  5. Nic-Plan, Nicolet Instrumentations Inc. Madison, WI.

  6. Magna-IR 550, Nicolet Instrumentations Inc. Madison, WI.

  7. ISys software package (Spectral Dimensions Inc., Olney, MD).

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported in part by an award from the National Institutes of Health (NIDCR DE016904) and the National Science Foundation (BES 0238237). Aftin Ross, Heon Ryou and Nikhil Amin were undergraduate students during the course of the research and Ms Ross acknowledges support from the MARC U-STAR program.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Maryland Baltimore County, 1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, MD, 21250, USA

    H. Ryou, N. Amin, A. Ross & D. Arola

  2. Paffenbarger Research Center, American Dental Association Foundation, National Institutes of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, 20899, USA

    N. Eidelman

  3. School of Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Kyungnam University, 631-791, Masan, South Korea

    D. H. Wang

  4. Department of Health Promotion and Policy, Baltimore College of Dental Surgery, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA

    E. Romberg

  5. Department of Endodontics, Prosthodontics, and Operative Dentistry, Baltimore College of Dental Surgery, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA

    D. Arola

Authors
  1. H. Ryou
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  2. N. Amin
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  3. A. Ross
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  4. N. Eidelman
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  5. D. H. Wang
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  6. E. Romberg
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  7. D. Arola
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to D. Arola.

Additional information

Support for the following investigation was provided by the National Institutes of Health (NIDCR R01DE016904) and the National Science Foundation (BES 0238237).

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Ryou, H., Amin, N., Ross, A. et al. Contributions of microstructure and chemical composition to the mechanical properties of dentin. J Mater Sci: Mater Med 22, 1127–1135 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10856-011-4293-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10856-011-4293-8

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