МИНЕРАЛОГИЧЕСКАЯ СТОМАТОЛОГИЯ КАК МЕЖДИСЦИПЛИНАРНАЯ ОБЛАСТЬ ИССЛЕДОВАНИЙ: НЕКОТОРЫЕ ИТОГИ И ПЕРСПЕКТИВЫ РАЗВИТИЯ

Subject Interdisciplinary research is the major development trend in modern science, including fundamental medicine. The article presents an overview of original research and contemporary literature data at the interface of fundamental dentistry and biomineralogy - in the material science field of biomineral formations – of human dental tissues. Objectives Justification of a new interdisciplinary scientific direction – mineralogical stomatology; definition of the subject and research methods; summary of the existing evidence and substantiation of development prospects. Results The results of systematic physical and chemical studies of tooth tissues (intact and with various pathologies) are considered, including studies carried out by the Ural School in the material science field of dental attrition (phase and chemical composition, structure, mechanical properties, etc.), disease development mechanisms, practical application of results during dental restoration, etc. Publications by international authors are reviewed, especially those concerned with: the application of local methods of investigation of dental tissues and mapping of their properties; the peculiarities of lattice parameter spatial distribution of enamel hydroxyapatite and migration of elements from amalgam into dentin and the pulp chamber; research on the distribution of essential and toxic trace elements, carbonate-ions, degree of crystallinity and collagen content through various structural zones of dental tissues; the analysis of fluorescence characteristics of tooth tissue and filling materials. Issues of tissue mapping based on digital data derived from different local substance analysis methods – scanning (transmission) electron microscopy with EDX analysis, electron probe microanalysis, mass spectrometry with laser ablation, IR and Raman microspectroscopy, etc. – are examined. Conclusions The new interdisciplinary scientific field of mineralogical stomatology is developed at the interface of dental medicine and biomineralogy. This discipline is focused on studies of human hard dental tissues, restoration materials, dental prosthetics, zones of interaction (hybridization) using techniques and approaches developed in biomineralogy and based on the application of modern analytical techniques. The work is supported by the Russian President’s grant NSh-9723.206.5.