SunriseSunset
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Sodium Fluoride and Tooth Decay?
This kinda boggles my mind a bit.. Why on earth would there be tablets (meant for oral ingestion) of sodium fluoride for treating tooth decay?
Like, how does that work? lol I can't seem to find any science backing direct application of sodium fluoride helping tooth decay. i've heard claims
from very old studies, but never actual scientific explanations.
Based on what I know, fluoride ion attacks oxygen so severely that it eats through glass. Enamel is composed of Calcium Phosphate.
Why do chemists call helium, curium and barium the medical elements?
because if you cant helium or curium, you barium! - Heimerdinger
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SunriseSunset
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Sodium Fluoride is not intensely water-soluble, but it is to a small enough degree. However, Calcium Fluoride is completely insoluble. So I
hypothesize for example, that if you were to continually add NaF to water that has CaCl2 dissolved. You would continually precipitate Calcium
Fluoride. I'm going out on a limb here but perhaps it's worth discussion. It might be a good idea to start buying fluoride free toothpaste and spring
water from now on. There's a lot of bad rumors going around.
Why do chemists call helium, curium and barium the medical elements?
because if you cant helium or curium, you barium! - Heimerdinger
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deltaH
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The mineral component of teeth is hydroxyapatite, Ca5(PO4)3(OH). Note the hydroxyl groups. Those hydroxyl groups can be substituted by other small
anions, for example, fluoride, resulting in the formation of fluorapatite, Ca5(PO4)3F.
Hydroxyapatite is susceptible to attack by acids released by bacteria, but fluorapatite is more resistant. Ingesting small amounts of fluoride and
exposing the surface of teeth fluoridates them to some degree imparting some measure of protection against bacterial acids.
At least that is what I've been taught 
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MolecularWorld
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I haven't done any medical research, but I also think it has to do with the insolubility of calcium fluoride. I took those tablets for a short time
when I was younger and, like toothpaste and mouthwash, they weren't meant to be swallowed, just chewed and spat out. I believe a layer of calcium
fluoride is supposed to form on teeth to prevent acid erosion.
Edit: deltaH hit enter before me.
[Edited on 15-11-2015 by MolecularWorld]
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BromicAcid
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Here is another photo of the pills along with a brand name:
http://www.pharmer.org/images/foreign/sodium-fluoride-naf
There is plenty of good research out there (search Google scholar and prepare to be inn undated) and an equal amount of unverified quackery along with
a few papers that are appropriately skeptical on the benefits and harm of the fluoride ion. Fluoride is toxic, no one will doubt that but it
apparently does have therapeutic applications. However, it was my understanding as a layman that the application only had to be done superficially to
help with dental carries. That would make me wonder why a pill form would be available. Unfortunately in my exhaustive 5 minutes of searching I came
up empty handed.
I had read a book some time ago that discussed how citizens are being purposely poisoned by fluoride by the government around the world. The purpose?
Because the aluminum industry produces too much fluoride and the only way to dispose of it is to put it in our water.
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SunriseSunset
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Quote: Originally posted by deltaH  | The mineral component of teeth is hydroxyapatite, Ca5(PO4)3(OH). Note the hydroxyl groups. Those hydroxyl groups can be substituted by other small
anions, for example, fluoride, resulting in the formation of fluorapatite, Ca5(PO4)3F.
Hydroxyapatite is susceptible to attack by acids released by bacteria, but fluorapatite is more resistant. Ingesting small amounts of fluoride and
exposing the surface of teeth fluoridates them to some degree imparting some measure of protection against bacterial acids.
At least that is what I've been taught
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This is the exact type of answer I was looking for! :]
Why do chemists call helium, curium and barium the medical elements?
because if you cant helium or curium, you barium! - Heimerdinger
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Boffis
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The reason for fluoride in tooth products is that the outer layer of teeth (the enamel) is composed of hydroxylapatite and it is more susceptable to
acid attack than fluorapatite. I presume therefore that the idea is that there is anion exchange F- for OH-.
I am surprised that there would be much exchange as apatites are very stable particularly the fluoroapatite and most mineral apatites are the fluoride
dominated member.
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