The Probable Phase Composition of the Mineral in Sound Enamel and Dentine

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Abstract
A reevaluation of the chemical, physical and physicochemical properties of the mineral in tooth enamel and dentine shows that the current models can not adequately account for the observed characteristics. On the basis of thermodynamical and solid state chemical principles an alternative model for the mineral in tooth enamel and dentine is proposed. According to the model the tooth enamel mineral consists of a magnesium whitlockite, a sodium‐ and carbonate containing apatite and a slightly carbonated hydroxyapatite approximately in the ratio 1: 1: 3. The latter phase also contains the chloride and fluoride ions of the mineral. The consistency of this three‐phase model is discussed. Dentine mineral appears to have qualitatively the same phase composition as bone mineral, although the relative amounts of the three constituting mineral phases differ considerably.