Home > Community > What chemical properties of sodium fluoride make it a good substance to put in toothpaste?
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+ Sodium
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+ Fluorine
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Kiele

What chemical properties of sodium fluoride make it a good substance to put in toothpaste?

Derek Hendricks  Follow

Sodium fluoride in toothpaste and mouthwash safely and effectively helps to prevent tooth decay, when formulated correctly and used as directed. Fluoride helps diminish demineralization of tooth enamel and enhances the remineralization of potential weak spots, strengthening the enamel.

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David Paul  Follow

Key properties and use: chemical properties: Sodium fluoride is highly soluble in water and readily dissociates into the sodium and fluoride ions in solution. It is noncombustible and corrosive to aluminum metal. Uses: Sodium fluoride is widely used as a fluorinating agent in toothpastes and water supplies to maintain dental health. It is also used as a wood preservative, corrosion inhibitor, cleaning agent, insecticide, chemical reagent, and in metallurgy and glass industries. Another important application is in nuclear medical imaging, where radioactive sodium fluoride (NaF18) is used as a radiotracer for detecting various conditions.

Sodium fluoride is found as an odorless, crystalline solid that is white to greenish in color, depending on its purity. Its density is 2.56 g/mL, melting point is 993 °C, and boiling point is 1,704 °C. It is a hygroscopic solid (absorbs moisture from air). It is stable under normal conditions, but when heated to high temperatures, it decomposes with the release of toxic and corrosive fumes of hydrogen fluoride (HF).

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Dave Hunter  Follow

Fluorine is a nutrient that is barely found in our food. Adding Fluoride to water and toothpaste increases our ingestion of this element that is essential in the formation of tooth enamel.

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Nigel West  Follow

The enamel of your teeth is made from a substance called hydroxyapatite a calcium mineral. It has a chemical group, the hydroxy part of this molecule is easily replaced by a fluoride ion when the toothpaste contains sodium fluoride or other fluoride source, converting the hydroxyapatite into fluoroapatite.

fluoroapatite is highly resistant for food acids and to the bacteria that cause tooth decay whereas the original hydroxyapatite is not very resistant to those two.

The end result is the virtual elimination tooth decay.

when I was teenager fluoride toothpaste wasn’t around so I lost several teeth to decay, shortly after I lost those teeth fluoride toothpaste came on the market and as a result I still have the teeth I had sixty years ago and have had only very minor problems since beginning the use of fluoride toothpaste.

The amount of fluoride in your toothpaste is low enough to be totally harmless but high enough to protect your teeth.

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Moose1942  Follow

It is inexpensive and effective at making tooth enamel more resistant to bacteria and acids. The chemistry involves replacing the OH groups on the surface of the tooth enamel with F .

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Carl Dodd  Follow

Fluoride is the only substance which stops dental decay. It converts the oxyappetite crystal of enamel to fluorapeetite crystal which hardens the surface and fights against decay.

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It’s the fluoride. It combines with the enamel of the tooth to make it more resistant to decay.

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