What makes chalky teeth crumble? A multimodal nano-scale XRF and WAXS study on MIH-teeth

Molar incisor hypomineralization (MIH) is a worldwide growing developmental dental condition in paediatric dentistry with a prevalence of up to 44 %. MIH-teeth are highly prone to fracture and caries as hardness, elasticity, and acidic resistance of the enamel barrier are deteriorated. It is unclear why the mechanical properties with respect to the mineral phases are so significantly compromised.Sound enamel exhibits high stiffness and hardness. The drastic difference indicates structural changes inMIH. However, the MIH-enamel microstructure, its orientations, and chemical composition are unknown over multiple length scales. We aim to study these parameters in comparison to sound enamel with high-resolution scanning WAXS & XRF. Closing the gap on the structure-property relationship in MIH will support the development of science-based clinical recommendations.