Preface

Covered by dental enamel, supported by dentin and cementum, and given life by the pulp in its core, the human tooth is indeed an extraordinary tissue. Despite this, teeth are often affected by dental caries or cavities. Research on dental hard tissues and their developmental pathologies is attracting more attention from the scientific community. This book presents the basics of developmental dental defects, which affect a large population worldwide and thus require new preventive and therapeutical approaches.

This book is organized into two sections. Section 1, "The Components of Dental Hard Tissues and Developmental Dental Defects," covers the basics of the human tooth while emphasizing the importance of organic content and trace elements. These components are responsible for giving the unique chemical and mechanical properties of dental hard tissues along with the hydroxyapatite-based mineral phase.

Section 2, "Genetic Components of Developmental Dental Defects," elucidates the complex genetic machinery behind tooth development. It provides an introduction to the genetic and epigenetic basis of developmental dental defects and directs the reader to the relevant literature.

This book presents the basics of developmental dental defects in chapters written by experts from all over the world. We are confident that students, scientists, and clinicians from diverse backgrounds will find this book useful and we hope the information contained herein contributes to future research in the field.

> **Ana Gil de Bona and Hakan Karaaslan** The Forsyth Institute, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA

### Section 1
