Houston dentists know that even stronger than bone, enamel (the solid polished outer layer of your teeth) proves to be the hardest substance in human bodies. With a composition of 96 % minerals, enamel can be ranked on a Moh’s hardness scale as compared to other natural materials in the world. The Moh’s hardness scale was developed by a German Geologist who worked his entire life to define minerals and compare their qualities and properties.
The Moh’s hardness test ranks on a scale of 1 to 10 all materials in natural science by their mineral quantity and composition. A scale of 1 would be similar to the soft lead in a pencil and the scale of 10 would be comparison to diamond–the hardest substance known to man. Tooth enamel, when treated with proper care and in optimum condition ranks as a 5. That’s as tough as orthoclase feldspar–the portion of granite with the pinkish tint.
It makes people wonder why a substance as tough as teeth are so susceptible to tooth decay from plaque, bacteria, and abscess infections. We’ll need to look at this from a scientific view to really dig into the subject in our next blog entry.
