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Is An Eggshell Similar To Tooth Enamel?

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Oscar De La Huerte Profile
Yes, eggshells are similar to tooth enamel - they both contain a type of calcium carbonate.

Whilst an eggshell might seem fairly brittle, it is actually made of a thin layer of fairly tough calcium carbonate.

What's the connection between eggshell and tooth enamel?

Whilst they might serve very different purposes, eggshell and tooth enamel are actually very similar.

Tooth enamel is one of the hardest substances in our bodies, and is primarily made up of something called hydroxyapatite - which is a crystalline calcium carbonate.

Similarities between egg shell and tooth enamel
Tooth enamel is fairly porous, which allows the body to renew the enamel continuously. Eggshells are also predominantly calcium carbon-based, and are also porous too!

The pores in eggshells are designed to allow oxygen to seep into the egg, which makes sure the chick inside is able to breathe until it is ready to hatch.

The main difference between the substance we find on our teeth and the material that protects the delicate insides of an egg is thickness. Tooth enamel is considerably thicker.

You may also be interested to know that seashells are made of the same stuff too!
Karli Profile
Karli answered
An eggshell is similar to enamel only in the sense that is can stain easily.

Otherwise it is nothing like an eggshell. Enamel is very hard.  In Dentistry we use diamond and carbide burs to drill into enamel.

I hope that can give you a sense of how hard enamel is.

Hope that helped!
Zhu Yugang Profile
Zhu Yugang answered
Yes, an eggshell is similar to tooth enamel.

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