Multi-modal characterization of rodent tooth development.

Craniofacial tissues undergo hard tissue development through mineralization and changes in physicochemical properties. This study investigates the mechanical and chemical properties of developing enamel, dentin, and bone in the mouse mandible. We employ a multi-modal, multi-scale analysis of the developing incisor and first molar at postnatal day 12 by integrating micro-computed tomography (microCT), nanoindentation (NI), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and Raman spectroscopy. Our findings demonstrate distinct patterns of mechanical, elemental, and chemical changes across mineralized tissues. These results suggest that mineral composition drives mechanical properties across different craniofacial hard tissues. Integrating multi-modal characterization of mineralized tissues opens new opportunities for investigating structure-function relationships in craniofacial biology and genetics.