Reaction Between Apatite and Monofluorophosphate: Modification by Fluoride and Condensed Phosphate

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Abstract
The effects of common contaminants of sodium monofluorophosphate, fluoride and pyrophosphate, on the course of the monofluorophosphate-apatite reaction were studied. Both fluoride and monofluorophosphate are capable of undergoing reactions with dental mineral. Neither reaction is independent of the other but dentifrice compositions with relatively low contents of free fluoride may be as clinically effective as those with more elevated fluoride levels. F- is probably not the sole source of anticaries activity. A rat caries test indicated that such trace levels of free fluoride do not provide the substantial anticaries activity associated with similar pastes containing sodium monofluorophosphate. Pyrophosphate, when present, inhibits the reaction between apatite and monofluorophosphate. The fact that no free pyrophosphate could be found on analysis of a dentifrice is attributed to adsorption of this contaminant by the abrasive and indicates that the pyrophosphate was not responsible for the observed anticaries activity. The monofluorophosphate anion probably possesses anticaries activity in its own right.

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