The given article presents the literature review focused on the structural levels of organization of the human tooth enamel from the level of the single hydroxyapatite crystallite to patterns of enamel rods arrangement typical for the teeth of different functional groups. It also contains data regarding the contribution of the enamel hierarchical structure to the outstanding mechanical properties of this material.
The critical analysis of 50 literature sources was conducted. They included 42 scientific articles, 7 textbooks, 1 dissertation. The sources were found on the platforms “Web of Science”, “PubMed” and “Cyberleninka”.
The tooth enamel appears to be a complex biocomposite material, which includes four levels of organization each exhibiting the interactions between organic and inorganic material. This phenomenon is responsible for the enamel being both hard and crack resistant material.
The second level of the enamel organization (the level of enamel rod) is still not researched completely, despite its significant contribution in the mechanical properties of the enamel.