Mineralisation within human tooth cementum identified by secondary ion mass spectrometry

Abstract

Life-history parameters such as pregnancies, skeletal trauma, and renal disease have previously been identified from hypomineralised growth layers (incremental lines) of acellular extrinsic fibre cementum (AEFC) using optical microscopy. We show that the precise periodicity of these growth layers remains poorly understood, so life history parameters for putative cementum deposition periodicity cannot be rigorously calculated. In an attempt to better understand the underlying formation processes, our study investigates whether or not mineralisation of AEFC incremental lines clearly indicate life history parameters in an ideal sample, using light microscopy, electron microscopy, and Time-of-Fl..