Dental dentin

**Dental dentin** is a hard, vital, mineralized tissue that forms the bulk of the tooth structure, positioned between the outer enamel and the inner pulp chamber in the crown, and between cementum and pulp in the root[1][2][3]. Dentin is composed of approximately 70% hydroxyapatite mineral, 20% organic matrix (mainly type I collagen and non-collagenous proteins), and about 10% water by weight[1][3][7]. The tissue contains microscopic dentinal tubules that house odontoblastic processes and transmit sensory stimuli from the tooth exterior to the pulp[2][3][4]. Dentin is not itself a drug target or receptor but is crucial for tooth integrity, flexibility, and its response to wear or injury occurs through the formation of primary, secondary, or tertiary dentin[2][1][4]. Key points: - **Dental dentin** is not a molecule, protein, receptor, enzyme, or transporter but a mineralized tissue composed of cells, proteins, and mineral. - It is *not* a therapeutic target per se, thus most information fields related to small-molecule targeting, mechanisms of action, drugs, or biomarkers are not applicable[1][2][3][4]. - Its biological role is mainly **structural** and **protective** within the tooth and it may be involved in dental diseases (such as caries), but not as a molecular disease mediator or direct drug target. If you are seeking information about dentin-specific proteins (e.g., dentin matrix protein 1) or cell types (e.g., odontoblasts), those would be considered valid biomolecules/targets. As requested, this entry is flagged as "is_incorrect: true" because dental dentin, as named, does not fit the definition of a molecular or pharmacological target.

Other names

Dentin