AIM The purpose of this study was to characterise the enamel surface of sound deciduous teeth in terms of morphology, chemical composition, structure and crystalline phases. MATERIALS AND METHODS The enamel of 30 human deciduous teeth was examined by: Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray Powder Diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared Spec...

We have found that nanobacteria, recently discovered Gram-negative atypical bacteria, can cause local calciphylaxis on the mitral valve in a setting of high-calcium X phosphorous product in the blood. We present the case of a 33-year-old man with diabetic renal failure on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis who died as a result of multiple brain infarcts due to embolizations from mitral v...

Among bioactive ceramics, the apatite/wollastonite (A/W) glass ceramic, containing apatite and wollastonite crystals in the glassy matrix, has been largely studied because of good bioactivity and used in some fields of medicine, especially in orthopedics and dentistry. However, medical applications of bioceramic are limited to non-load bearing applications because of their poor mechanical prope...

Trauma, inflammation, or necrosis in the scrotal cavity may lead to depositing of organic material in hydrocele fluid with consecutive calcification if the fluid is oversaturated. During a period of 25 years, 2 scrotal calculi (calculous material in hydrocele fluid) in 2 of 42 patients (4.8%) were found during surgery on symptomatic hydroceles by the first author. In these symptomatic cases, in...

Bone powder from patients dying with chronic renal failure of more than 1 yr duration was shown to release less calcium and more phosphate when equilibrated with a buffer solution. pH 7.4 at 4 degrees C. This change persisted after removal of the organic component and was associated with a reduction in the bone carbonate content. Crystal size and surface area showed no consistent changes from t...

The feasibility of calcium carbonate cements involving the recrystallisation of metastable calcium carbonate varieties has been demonstrated. Calcium carbonate cement compositions presented in this paper can be prepared straightforwardly by simply mixing water (liquid phase) with two calcium carbonate phases (solid phase) which can be easily obtained by precipitation. An original cement composi...

The concentration of structural hydroxyl groups in the apatite mineral of enamel, dentin and cementum of healthy human teeth was estimated by reference to stoichiometric hydroxyapatite to be 73 +/- 3, 18 +/- 2 and 18 +/- 1%, respectively.

Powders of sodium-carbonate co-substituted hydroxyapatite, having sodium content in the range of 0.25–1.5 wt.% with a 0.25 wt.% step, were prepared by a precipitation-solid state reaction route. Compacts of the powders were sintered in a CO2 flow (4 mL/min) at 1100 °C for 2 h. The sintered ceramics contained sodium and carbonate ions in the ranges of 0–1.5 wt.% and 1.3–6 wt.%, respectively, whi...