Electron probe study of coronal dentin in red deer.

A topographic description of the concentration profiles of Ca, P, Mg, Zn, F, S and K in coronal dentin of red deer is given. The concentrations reported should be regarded as semiquantitative values. An area along the mesiodistal axis of the crowns showed lower concentrations of Ca and P and higher concentrations of Mg than the surrounding bulk of dentin. The inner dentin revealed downward slopes of the Ca, P and Mg profiles toward the pulpal cavity, whereas the Zn, F and usually also the S profiles showed elevations. Incidental findings were elevations of S and K profiles near the worn incisal edges. The walls of giant tubules, which are frequent in red deer dentin, showed in many cases modest elevations of the Ca, P, Mg and Zn profiles. The lumina of these tubules revealed in a few instances elevation of the S profiles.