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Enamel hypocalcification is a defect of tooth enamel in which normal amounts of enamel are produced but are hypomineralized. [ 1 ] [ 2 ] In this defect the enamel is softer than normal. Some areas in enamel are hypocalcified: enamel spindles, enamel tufts, and enamel lamellae.
Enamel spindles are often confused with two other entities: enamel lamellae and enamel tufts. Lamellae are linear enamel defects that extend from the surface of the enamel towards the DEJ, or vice versa. Enamel tufts are "small, branching defects that are found only at the DEJ, protruding into the enamel towards the enamel surface.
Enamel mineralization only occurs once (as ameloblasts are lost with eruption within the reduced enamel epithelium); therefore after amelogenesis, enamel production has been finalized. [4] This is in contrast to dentin formation which occurs throughout life (secondary dentin production).
Hypomineralization or hypocalcification, as opposed to hypoplasia, refers to a decrease in the mineral content of the enamel, not the total amount present. It can vary in its presentation, and teeth may appear visually normal or highly translucent. Affected enamel is softer and more susceptible to acid, wear and decay.
Enamel hypoplasia and enamel hypocalcification are examples of defective enamel that potentially gives a discolored appearance to the tooth. Teeth affected in this way are also usually more susceptible to further staining acquired throughout life. Amelogenesis imperfecta is a rare condition that affects the formation of enamel (amelogenesis ...
The hypocalcification type, which is the most common, is an autosomal dominant condition that results in enamel that is not completely mineralized. [51] Consequently, enamel easily flakes off the teeth, which appear yellow because of the revealed dentin.
] It is the most common type of enamel hypoplasia reported in clinical and archaeological samples, with other types including plane-form enamel hypoplasia and pitting enamel hypoplasia. [12] Linear enamel hypoplasia can be caused by a variety of factors, from genetic conditions to malnutrition and illnesses during childhood.
Tooth development begins at week 6 in utero, in the oral epithelium. The process is divided into three stages: Initiation; Morphogenesis and; Histogenesis [2]; At the end of week 7 i.u., localised proliferations of cells in the dental laminae form round and oval swellings known as tooth buds, which will eventually develop into mesenchymal cells and surround the enamel organ.