{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,28]],"date-time":"2026-09-28T14:33:41Z","timestamp":1790606021827,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":58,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"11","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,6,2]],"date-time":"2021-06-02T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1622592000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJMS"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The dentin-enamel junction (DEJ) is known for its special role in teeth. Several techniques were applied for the investigation of the DEJ in human sound molar teeth. The electron (EPMA) and proton (PIXE) microprobes gave consistent indications about the variability of elemental concentrations on this boundary. The locally increased and oscillating concentrations of Mg and Na were observed in the junction, in the layer adhering to the enamel and covering roughly half of the DEJ width. The chemical results were compared with the optical profiles of the junction. Our chemical and optical results were next compared with the micromechanical results (hardness, elastic modulus, friction coefficient) available in the world literature. A strong correlation of both result sets was proven, which testifies to the self-affinity of the junction structures for different locations and even for different kinds of teeth and techniques applied for studies. Energetic changes in tooth strictly connected with crystallographic transformations were calculated, and the minimum energetic status was discovered for DEJ zone. Modeling of both walls of the DEJ from optical data was demonstrated. Comparing the DEJ in human teeth with the same structure found in dinosaur, shark, and alligator teeth evidences the universality of dentin enamel junction in animal world. The paper makes a contribution to better understanding the joining of the different hard tissues.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijms22116003","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,6,2]],"date-time":"2021-06-02T10:38:39Z","timestamp":1622630319000},"page":"6003","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":19,"title":["Novel Approach to Tooth Chemistry. Quantification of the Dental-Enamel Junction"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"22","author":[{"given":"Andrzej","family":"Kuczumow","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"ComerLab Dorota Nowak, Radawiec Du\u017cy 196, 21-030 Motycz, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1730-4540","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Renata","family":"Cha\u0142as","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Oral Medicine, Medical University of Lublin, 20-093 Lublin, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jakub","family":"Nowak","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"ComerLab Dorota Nowak, Radawiec Du\u017cy 196, 21-030 Motycz, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9848-6448","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Janusz","family":"Lekki","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Henryk Niewodnicza\u0144ski Institute of Nuclear Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Department of Applied Spectroscopy, 31-342 Krakow, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1899-0300","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Katarzyna","family":"Sarna-Bo\u015b","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Dental Prosthetics, Medical University of Lublin, 20-093 Lublin, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5377-9933","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Wojciech","family":"Smu\u0142ek","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Chemical Technology and Engineering, Poznan University of Technology, 60-965 Pozna\u0144, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9832-9274","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Maciej","family":"Jarz\u0119bski","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Physics and Biophysics, Pozna\u0144 University of Life Sciences, 60-637 Pozna\u0144, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,6,2]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Sharma, V., Rani, K., Roychoudhury, A., Chawla, A., Nikolajeff, F., and Kumar, S. 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