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Journal of Electron Microscopy Advance Access published online on June 26, 2009
Journal of Electron Microscopy, doi:10.1093/jmicro/dfp034
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© The Author 2009. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Japanese Society of Microscopy. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org

Electron microscopy of octacalcium phosphate in the dental calculus

Mitsuo Kakei1,*, Toshiro Sakae2 and Masayoshi Yoshikawa3

1 Division of Oral Anatomy, School of Dentistry, Meikai University, Sakado, Saitama 350-0283
2 Department of Histology, Cell Biology, and Embryology, Nihon University School of Dentistry at Matsudo, 2-870-1 Sakaechyo-nishi, Matsudo, Chiba 271-8587
3 Division of Orthodontics, School of Dentistry, Meikai University, Sakado, Saitama 350-0283, Japan

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: m-kakei{at}dent.meikai.ac.jp

The purpose of this study was to morphologically demonstrate the presence of octacalcium phosphate in the dental calculus by judging from the crystal lattice image and its rapid transformation into apatite crystal, as part of our serial studies on biomineral products. We also aimed to confirm whether the physical properties of octacalcium phosphate are identical with those of the central dark lines observed in crystals of ordinary calcifying hard tissues. Electron micrographs showed that crystals of various sizes form in the dental calculus. The formation of each crystal seemed to be closely associated with the organic substance, possibly originating from degenerated microorganisms at the calcification front. Many crystals had an 8.2-Å lattice interval, similar to that of an apatite crystal. Furthermore, some crystals clearly revealed an 18.7-Å lattice interval and were vulnerable to electron bombardment. After electron beam exposure, this lattice interval was quickly altered to about half (i.e. 8.2 Å), indicating structural conversion. Consequently, a number of apatite crystals in the dental calculus are possibly created by a conversion mechanism involving an octacalcium phosphate intermediate. However, we also concluded that the calcification process in the dental calculus is not similar to that of ordinary calcifying hard tissues.

Keywords     electron microscopy, dental calculus, octacalcium phosphate, OCP-mediated pathway, central dark line, apatite crystals

Received     10 March 2009, accepted 5 June 2009


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