Enamel tufts

Scanning electron micrography finds that there are two kinds: one that is continuous with the enamel-dentine membrane at the dentinoenamel junction and that is acid-resistant, and another that is made up of empty spaces between the prisms and hard walls covered with organic matter.

[5] However, stress upon the enamel is not needed to produce them since they occur in impacted third molars that are not affected by biting forces.

The processes involved include the creation of stress shielding by increasing the compliance of enamel next to the dentin.

[8] Enamel is as brittle as glass and yet it can constantly withstand bite forces during chewing as high as 1,000 N many times a day.

[11][12] As such, it has been argued, that enamel tufts is an example of how nature has created a biomechanical solution to the problem of weak internal interfaces that laminate structures would otherwise have.

[8] The solutions involved (such as filling growing defects with fluids) has inspired scientists to make novel bioinspired (or biomimicry) materials.