ABSTRACT
Amelogenesis Imperfecta (AI) affects the quantity and quality of enamel, and it has diverse phenotypes (hypoplastic, hypomadure and hypocalcificated enamel). Our objective was to study the micromorphology, microstructure and micro-Raman spectroscopy of enamel samples with AI of hypoplastic phenotype. Two members of a family were studied. One patient had hypoplastic phenotype of AI and the other did not. Six teeth from the patient with AI and two teeth from the unaffected member were processed. In the samples with AI, the ESEM showed deep fissures and superficial alterations in enamel surface, a decrease on the width of the enamel and a irregular disposition of the heterogeneously calcified enamel prisms. RAMAN spectrometrometry indicated that the spectrometry of the hidroxyapatite crystals in the AI enamel was different from the control sample. This leads us to consider that the classifications based only on clinical aspects are insufficient for a correct understanding of the pathology.
