Dentinoenamel junction

The surface of the dentin at the dentinoenamel junctions is pitted. Into the shallow depressions of the dentin fit rounded projections of the enamel. This relation assures the firm hold of the enamel cap on the dentin. In sections, therefore, the dentinoenamel junction appears not as a straight but as a scalloped line. The convexities of the scallops are directed toward the dentin. The pitted dentinoenamel junction is preformed even before the development of hard tissues and is evident in the arrangement of the ameloblasts and the basement membrane of the dental papilla.

In the dentinoenamel junction (DEJ) the crystals of dentin and enamel mix with each other. The DEJ, which is a series of ridges is more pronounced in the occlusal area, where masticatory stresses are greater. In microradiographs of ground sections a hypermineralized\ zone about 30 μm thick can sometimes be demonstrated at the dentinoenamel junction. It is most prominent before mineralization is complete.

References

Dentinoenamel junction Resources
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