Fluoride-containing bioactive glasses: Effect of glass design and structure on degradation, pH and apatite formation in simulated body fluid

Fluoride in glass forms fluorapatite, increasing phosphate favours apatite formation.

Results show that incorporation of fluoride resulted in a reduced pH rise in aqueous solutions compared to fluoride-free glasses and in the formation of fluorapatite (FAp), which is more chemically stable than hydroxyapatite or carbonated hydroxyapatite and therefore is of interest for dental applications. … Apatite formation could be favoured by increasing the phosphate content in the glass…

Bioactive silicate glasses are of interest for use … in dentifrices, and in all these applications addition of fluoride would be beneficial. Fluoride is well known to prevent dental cavities by inhibiting enamel and dentine demineralization, enhancing remineralization and inhibiting bacterial enzymes. An important factor here is the formation of fluorapatite (FAp), which is more acid resistant than HCA, the main component of enamel and dentine.

Authors :

Delia S. Brauer, Natalia Karpukhina, Matthew D. O’Donnell, Robert V. Law, Robert G. Hill

Journal :

Acta Biomaterialia 6 (2010) 3275–3282