Enamel cuticle

The pellicle (SOH) or pellicle ( lat .: dental cuticle , cuticle dentalis also Nasmyth membrane ; engl .: enamel cuticle , dental cuticle , Nasmyth's membrane ) is a thin, horn-like membrane which binds to the surface of the healthy tooth is . The enamel cuticle consists of organic material and is not mineralized . It is named after Alexander Nasmyth (1789–1848), a British anatomist and court dentist.

Primary and secondary enamel cuticle

The primary enamel epithelium arises from the submerged adamantoblasts and forms a functional unit with the secondary enamel epithelium, which arises from the remnants of the outer enamel epithelium during odontogenesis .

The mineralization of milk teeth begins in the uterus and lasts until the end of the first year of life.

Tertiary enamel cuticle

An acquired exogenous film-like deposit on the tooth surface is referred to as a tertiary enamel cuticle ( pellicle ) . This is colorless and has a thickness of about 0.5 to 1 µm. The pellicle is semipermeable. Due to their own charge, the pellicles form an electrostatic bond with the calcium and phosphate groups of the apatite , which means that the pellicles adhere strongly to the enamel surface. They can not be removed by brushing your teeth , for example .

The upper layer of enamel has a protective (protective) function. By attaching the marginal epithelium to the eruption (breakthrough) of the teeth, the closeness of the covering tissue is guaranteed. In mechanically exposed areas of the tooth, the histogenic enamel cuticle is very soon lost through abrasion and is replaced by the tertiary, exogenous enamel cuticle. In the fissures and in the area of ​​the connecting epithelium, the histogenic enamel cuticle remains for a very long time.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ M. Trenouth: Nasmyth's membrane: confusion and controversy. In: Dental historian: Lindsay Club newsletter. Number 45, July 2007, pp. 22-40, ISSN  0958-6687 . PMID 17867446 .
2. ^ Heinz-Peter Schmiedebach : Nasmyth, Alexander. In: Werner E. Gerabek , Bernhard D. Haage, Gundolf Keil , Wolfgang Wegner (eds.): Enzyklopädie Medizingeschichte. De Gruyter, Berlin / New York 2005, ISBN 3-11-015714-4 , p. 1024.
3. ↑ Nasmyth's Membrane , Webster
4. ↑ N. Sabel, G. Klinberg u. a .: Analysis of some elements in primary enamel during postnatal mineralization. In: Swedish dental journal. Volume 33, Number 2, 2009, pp. 85-95, ISSN  0347-9994 . PMID 19728580 .
5. ↑ Jochen Fanghänel, Franz Pera, Friedrich Anderhuber: Waldeyer - Anatomie des Menschen . Walter de Gruyter, 2009, ISBN 978-3-11-091119-0 , p. 289.
6. ↑ Joachim Barth: Anatomy: special biology of the masticatory system . Verlag Neuer Merkur, 1992, ISBN 3-921280-84-2 , p. 314.
7. ↑ J. Klimek: Saliva and oral health. (PDF) University of Giessen, p. 18.

This article is about a health issue. It is not used for self-diagnosis and does not replace a diagnosis by a doctor. Please note the information on health issues !