20 March 2016
Apatite for Destruction
The enamel on our teeth formed before we were born, built by ameloblasts into a complex mineral structure that’s harder than steel. But these enamel architects perished long before we ate our first meal – leaving our enamel unable to repair itself, yet bathed in acid every time we eat. Roughly 100,000 times smaller than a bouquet of flowers, this artificially-coloured picture shows fluorapatite seen through a scanning electron microscope. It’s a modified enamel mineral, which uses fluoride ions to block the destructive effects of acid erosion. Fluoride toothpastes attempt to create a layer of fluorapatite on our gnashers when we brush, but the effects are fleeting. Grown outside the body, this fluorapatite is being so closely studied to help to find ways to adapt this sophisticated mineral into a permanent enamel replacement for decaying teeth as a welcome alternative to the dentist’s drill.
Today is World Oral Health Day
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