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View submission: How does fluoride reduce cavities?
Converts hydroxyapatite in tooth enamel into fluoroapatite. Fluoroapatite is mechanically weaker but more resistant to chemical weathering than hydroxyapatite so the tooth enamel becomes more resistant to the acid excreted by bacteria in the mouth. The fluorine can also react with dissolved apatite in the saliva and because fluoroapatite is less soluble it will fall out of solution and remineralize on the teeth.
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