Incrustation of precious stones in dental apatite

摘要

There is evidence that in ancient cultures in Mexico copal was probably used for gluing precious stones in teeth cavities and for dental restorations as well. We have investigated potential applications of this material in modern dentistry. In this work we report the presence of preferred orientation of the apatite crystallites in the visible tooth surface and a possible monoclinic symmetry of a crystalline phase in copal from X-ray powder diffraction analysis. Scanning Electron Microscopy shows adhesion of copal to dental tissue by penetrating the dentin tubules in the tooth tissue. Then, copal can be considered seriously as an adhesive to use in dentistry today.