Angmar et al. (J Ultrastruc Res, 1963): data on mineral volume and birefringence of normal enamel

   The article by Angmar et al. (J Ultrastruct Res, 8:12-23, 1963) is one of the most important references on the mineral volume and birefringence of human normal dental enamel of permanent teeth. Below follow the raw data extracted from the graphs published in the figures of the original article. Mineral volume is based on a mineral density of 3.15 gcm-3, but can be converted to a mineral density of 2.99 gcm-3 using the following equation (Elliott et al., Connect Tis Res, 38:61-72, 1998)

V(2.99) = 0.954913 V(3.15)+ 0.1057567 (1)

   For the convertion, it must be used mineral volume fraction instead of percent mineral volume (eg.: 0.91 instead of 91%). Using mineral volume (based on a density fo 2.99 gcm-3) and birefringence in water is possible to quantify the organic and water volumes (see Eqs. 1-7 of Sousa et al., J Microsc, 221:79-83, 2006). Using birefringence in air is possible to quantify loosely and firmly bound water volumes (Eqs. 1-7 of Sousa et al., J Microsc 2006). Exercising the calculations is useful to learn how to quantify biochemical volumes at specific histological points. Such data are useful for a wide range of applications in enamel research.   

Raw data of Angmar, B., Carlström, D. & Glas, J.E. (1963) Studies on the ultrastructure

of dental enamel. IV. The mineralization of normal human enamel. J. Ultrastruct. Res. 8, 12–23:

(V1 = mineral volume; BRágua = enamel birefringence in water x 10-4; BRar = enamel birefringence in air x 10-4)

Tooth a
Distance from surface (micron)	100	200	300	400	500	600	700	800	900	1000	1100	1200	1300
V1	85,625	85,625	85	85	85	83,75	83,75	83,75	84,375	84,375	84,375	85	85
BRágua	-20	-21,25	-23,75	-23,75	-22,5	-22,5	-22,5	-21,25	-20	-18,75	-17,5	-17,5	-18,75
BRar	-18,75	-17,5	-15	-10	-5	-2,5	0	7,5	2,5	2,5	1,25	0	-5
Tooth b
Distance	100	200	300	400	500	600	700	800	900	1000	1100	1200	1300
V1	86,25	86,25	86,875	86,875	86,875	86,875	86,25	86,25	86,25	85,625	85	85	83,75
BRágua	-26,25	-26,25	-27,5	-27,5	-26,25	-26,25	-27,5	-26,25	-25	-23,75	-22,5	-23,75	-17,5
BRar	-25	-23,75	-20	-17,5	-15	-12,5	-12,5	-11,25	-11,25	-10	-7,5	-5	-5
Tooth c
Distance	100	200	300	400	500	600	700	800	900	1000	1100	1200	1300
V1	91,25	90,625	90	89,375	88,75	87,5	87,5	86,725	85	84,375
BRágua	-23,75	-23,75	-22,5	-22,5	-22,5	-21,25	-20	-18,75	-17,5	-15
BRar	-17,5	-15	-10	-7,5	-5	-2,5	-2,5	2,5	3,75	7,5
Tooth d
Distance	100	200	300	400	500	600	700	800	900	1000	1100	1200	1300
V1	89,375	88,75	87,5	86,25	85	84,375	83,75	83,125	82,5	82,5	81,875	81,25	81,25
BRágua	-25	-25	-26,25	-27,5	-26,25	-22,5	-22,5	-22,5	-20	-20	-20	-18,75	-17,5
BRar	-21,25	-20	-15	-10	-5	2,5	5	5	5	3,75	3,75	3,75	2,5
Tooth e
Distance	100	200	300	400	500	600	700	800	900	1000	1100	1200	1300
V1	88,175	87,5	86,875	86,25	85,625	84,375	83,75	83,75	83,125	83,75	83,75
BRágua	-22,5	-22,5	-22,5	-22,5	-23,75	-22,5	-20	-18,75	-17,5	-17,5	-15
BRar	-21,25	-17,5	-15	-11,12	-7,5	-5	1,25	7,5	10	10	10
Tooth f
Distance	100	200	300	400	500	600	700	800	900	1000	1100	1200	1300
V1	87,5	86,875	86,25	85,625	86,25	85,625	86,25	86,25	85	85
BRágua	-25	-26,25	-26,25	-25	-23,75	-23,75	-23,75	-22,5	-20	-18,75
BRar	-16,25	-15	-11,25	-7,5	-5	-6,25	-6,25	-6,25	-5	-2,5
Tooth g
Distance	100	200	300	400	500	600	700	800	900	1000	1100	1200	1300
V1	88,125	87,5	86,875	86,875	86,25	85	85	85	85
BRágua	-25	-23,75	-22,5	-22,5	-21,25	-21,25	-20	-20	,18,75
BRar	-20	-15	-10	-7,5	-5	-1,25	-1,25	0	3,75
Tooth h
Distance	100	200	300	400	500	600	700	800	900	1000	1100	1200	1300
V1	88,75	88,125	87,5	86,875	85,625	85,625	85	85
BRágua	-23,75	-25	-23,75	-22,5	-20	-13,75	-12,5	-15
BRar	-20	-17,5	-11,25	-7,5	-2,5	0	2,5	2,5
Tooth i
Distance	100	200	300	400	500	600	700	800	900	1000	1100	1200	1300
V1	91,25	90	88,75	87,5	86,25	85	83,75	81,875	81,25
BRágua	-27,5	-25		-25	-23,75	-22,5	-21,25	-18,75	-17,5
BRar	-25	-22,5	-17,5	-15	-10	-7,5	-5	0	2,5
Tooth j
Distance	100	200	300	400	500	600	700	800	900	1000	1100	1200	1300
V1	90,625	89,375	87,5	86,25	86,25	85	83,75	83,75	84,375	85
BRágua	-26,25	-25	-23,75	-23,75	-25	-23,75	-21,25	-20	-20	-18,75
BRar	-22,5	-22,5	-17,5	-10	-2,5	2,5	5	5	3,75	3,75