Chalky teeth 100 years on: What comes next?

A Breakthrough in Understanding the Pathogenesis of Molar Hypomineralisation: The Mineralisation-Poisoning Model

Popularly known as "chalky teeth", molar hypomineralisation (MH) affects over 1-in-5 children worldwide, triggering massive amounts of suffering from toothache and rapid decay. MH stems from childhood illness and so offers a medical-prevention avenue for improving oral and paediatric health. With a cross-sector translational research and education network (The D3 Group; thed3group.org) now highlighting this global health opportunity, aetiological understanding is urgently needed to enable better awareness, management and eventual prevention of MH. Causation and pathogenesis of "chalky enamel spots" (i.e., demarcated opacities, the defining pathology of MH) remain unclear despite 100 years of investigation. However, recent biochemical studies provided a pathomechanistic breakthrough by explaining several hallmarks of chalky opacities for the first time. This article outlines these findings in context of previous understanding and provides a working model for future investigations. The proposed pathomechanism, termed "mineralisation poisoning", involves localised exposure of immature enamel to serum albumin. Albumin binds to enamel-mineral crystals and blocks their growth, leading to chalky opacities with distinct borders. Being centred on extracellular fluid rather than enamel-forming cells as held by dogma, this localising pathomechanism invokes a new type of connection with childhood illness. These advances open a novel direction for research into pathogenesis and causation of MH, and offer prospects for better clinical management. Future research will require wide-ranging inputs that ideally should be coordinated through a worldwide translational network. We hope this breakthrough will ultimately lead to medical prevention of MH, prompting global health benefits including major reductions in childhood tooth decay.

100 Years of Chalky Teeth Research: From Pioneering Histopathology to Social Good

One hundred years ago, histopathology pioneer Bernhard Gottlieb described developmentally disrupted teeth as having “chalky enamel” and “chalky spots” that “crumble” easily. He also asked pivotal questions about the pathogenesis of “enamel hypoplasia” that remained enigmatic for almost a century. Today, breakthrough pathomechanistic investigations of chalky enamel are revealing surprising answers, and an allied translational initiative—The D3 Group for developmental dental defects (“D3s”) —is converting such scientific knowledge into social good surrounding prevention of tooth decay. Molar hypomineralisation (MH) affects 1-in-5 children worldwide and is well-evidenced, but poorly recognised, as a principal risk factor for childhood tooth decay. Given MH is causally linked to infantile illness, an exciting corollary is that medical prevention would lead to substantial reductions in decay. Here we reflect on the past century of chalky teeth research and retrace the path leading to recognition of MH as a global health concern. Five research eras, today's four major D3s, and diverse experimental attacks are outlined alongside translational wins that have benefitted global health. Addressing hopes for medical prevention of MH, this centennial year's pathomechanistic discovery is contextualised against past accomplishments and new opportunities. Finally, we note the translational value of accessible infographics for guiding future work, and forecast exciting prospects for the next century.