Trace Element Content of Primary and Permanent Tooth Enamel (Short Communication)

Analysis of 35 Inorganic Elements in Teeth in Relation to Caries Formation

“…It is quite possible that decreased strontium intake makes the teeth vulnerable to caries [9]. A possible relationship between strontium and caries is supported by (1) epidemiological studies that the lowest incidence of caries occurred in areas with strontium levels of 5.4 to 8.3 mg/L in drinking water, with increased incidence at higher and lower levels [10], (2) animal studies by Rygh [11] showing that strontium stimulates calcium deposition in bones and teeth of rats and guinea pigs, (3) experimental studies that giving strontium to rats in their diet increases the buildup of dentin in their teeth [12], (4) analytical studies reporting lower strontium level in the enamel of carious teeth compared to sound teeth [13], and (5) our own in vitro studies, simulating conditions of dental caries, showed significant decrease in calcium release from both carious as well as non-carious teeth after pretreatment with strontium salt [14]. Further, strontium is in the same group of periodic table as calcium, so has similar properties to it, but is more reactive [15].…”

“…We here report the results of chemical analysis of a total of 35 elements present in human teeth. Such attempts have been made in the past [1][2][3][4]. All these suffer from the criticism that teeth were cut to obtain enamel and later ground, which causes positive contamination of trace elements.…”

Trace-element evidence for foreigners at a Maya port in Northern Yucatan

“…Nonetheless, there is general agreement that trace elements that are incorporated into inorganic biological tissues do have some relationship with the diet and drinking water (Burton et al, 2003;Grupe, 1998;Lappalainen et al, 1981;Molleson, 1988;Vrbic et al, 1987). Ultimately, unless food and/or water are imported from distant regions, they are both related to local bedrock geology (Burton et al, 2003).…”

“…Nonetheless, a number of studies (Curzon, 1983;Lappalainen et al, 1981;Molleson, 1988;Vrbic et al, 1987) suggest that trace elements may provide reliable data on the geographic origins of human populations. As a result, some studies have continued to explore the value of trace elements in studies of human migration and origins (Burton et al, 2003;Cucina et al, 2005a;Schneider and Blakeslee, 1990).…”

Aspects of correlation between the surface analysis and heavy metal content in temporary teeth from areas with various pollution levels of Romania

“…A series of papers contained arguments for relation between heavy metal content and the number of carries of patients, but according to literature data [1,4,5] it is difficult to have a clear conclusion in this moment [7][8][9]. First of all the number of carries as an expression of oral health could be the result of many other social factors, and despite the fact that the environment quality is a part of quality of life, it is very difficult to be sure that the teeth are collected from a target group with similar life conditions.…”