Original: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdsr.2022.11.001
Biological tissues in our bodies are built in special ways to meet different needs. Hard tissues like teeth and bones are designed to handle force and support our body.
Tooth enamel is the hardest and strongest tissue in the human body. Even though it is only a few millimeters thick and cannot repair itself easily, it still lasts for our entire life.
Bone supports our body and helps with important metabolic functions. However, as we age or develop certain diseases, our bones lose strength and become more likely to break.
Teeth and bones have many similarities. They are both made from very small crystals called nanocrystalline apatite and matrix proteins, which form their basic structure. Scientists still do not fully understand how these hard tissues achieve their strength, but it is believed that they have natural mechanisms that help them resist damage.
A technique called nanoindentation allows researchers to test the mechanical properties of tooth enamel and bone at very small scales. These tests show that their strength mainly comes from how their tiny structural units are organized and how they work together.
Understanding these mechanisms can help scientists create better biomaterials and also improve our knowledge of bone diseases.