Review on fluoride, with special emphasis on calcium fluoride mechanisms in caries prevention

Low concentrations of fluoride have a beneficial effect on enamel and dentin de- and remineralization. After fluoride treatments, such as topical applications, rinses or dentifrices, salivary fluoride concentrations decrease exponentially in a biphasic manner to very low concentrations within a few hours. For treatments to be effective over periods longer than the brushing and the following salivary clearance, fluoride needs to be deposited and slowly released. Calcium fluoride (or like) deposits act in such a way, owing to a surface covering of phosphate and/or proteins, which makes the CaF2 less soluble under in vivo conditions than in a pure form in inorganic solutions. Moreover, due to the phosphate groups on the surface of the calcium fluoride globules, fluoride is assumed to be released with decreasing pH when the phosphate groups are protonated in the dental plaque.