Ultrastructural study of amelogenesis imperfecta.

An ultrastructural study of teeth with amelogenesis imperfecta revealed various aspects of microcavities in the enamel surface, which ranged from isolated imprints of ameloblasts corresponding to the mildest lesions at the end of amelogenesis, to pits caused by the death of 20 to 30 ameloblasts at the beginning of amelogenesis. Abnormalities in the shape of the prisms can be observed. Further, crystals are distributed randomly within a prism or at the junction of 2 contiguous prisms while intercrystalline spaces are widened, indicating in various places the lack of a preferred orientation of the crystals. In amelogenesis imperfecta, two different crystalline periods are found: 1 of about 250 A, the other of about 500 A and over. The fact that amorphous areas are found among the crystals of enamel may be related to different stages of crystallization. However, it was not possible to find any lattice defect.