by 'the skin of the teeth'

[ excerpted in entirety from Eurekalert.org ]

In a study that the authors describe as lending credence to the idiom, "by the skin of your teeth," scientists are reporting that the protective shield fluoride forms on teeth is up to 100 times thinner than previously believed. It raises questions about how this renowned cavity-fighter really works and could lead to better ways of protecting teeth from decay, the scientists suggest. Their study appears in ACS' journal Langmuir.

Frank Müller and colleagues point out that tooth decay is a major public health problem worldwide. In the United States alone, consumers spend more than $50 billion each year on the treatment of cavities. The fluoride in some toothpaste, mouthwash and municipal drinking water is one of the most effective ways to prevent decay. Scientists long have known that fluoride makes enamel — the hard white substance covering the surface of teeth — more resistant to decay. Some thought that fluoride simply changed the main mineral in enamel, hydroxyapatite, into a more-decay resistant material called fluorapatite.

The new research found that the fluorapatite layer formed in this way is only 6 nanometers thick. It would take almost 10,000 such layers to span the width of a human hair. That's at least 10 times thinner than previous studies indicated. The scientists question whether a layer so thin, which is quickly worn away by ordinary chewing, really can shield teeth from decay, or whether fluoride has some other unrecognized effect on tooth enamel. They are launching a new study in search of an answer.

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The authors acknowledge support from Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft and Saarland Ministry of Finances.

ARTICLE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE "Elemental Depth Profiling of Fluoridated Hydroxyapatite: Saving Your Dentition by the Skin of Your Teeth?"

DOWNLOAD FULL TEXT ARTICLE HERE

CONTACT:
Frank Müller, Ph.D.
Experimental Physics
Saarland University
Saarbrücken, Germany
Phone: (0681) 302 - 704 79
Fax: (0681) 302 - 704 1999
Email: f.mueller@mx.uni-saarland.de

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EPA's new "Drinking Water Strategy Discussion Forum"

Make your vote by actions! Take part in this nationwide government-level forum to remove toxic materials from our PWSs (Public Water Supplies) everywhere!

(from the EPA, per the linked forum site:)

Today, we are detecting new contaminants in drinking water at a much faster rate than we are addressing them. We have begun efforts to define approaches to address groups of contaminants that will be more efficient and keep pace with the increasing knowledge we have about chemicals in our products, our environment, and our bodies. We are looking for ideas to develop a framework that can be used to address the contaminants as groups. For example, a framework to define groups of contaminants could be based on similar health effects, co-occurrence in the environment or public water systems, comparable analytical methods, and/or related drinking water treatment. Frameworks based on one or more of these examples may be appropriate for different groups of contaminants.

• What are some potential approaches for addressing contaminants as groups?
• If you or your organization has experience addressing groups of contaminants, what factors have you considered that worked and which factors have not worked?
• Have you identified potential group(s) of contaminants and what challenges or questions have you encountered in identifying potential group(s)?
• What are some of the key scientific and implementation aspects that EPA should consider as we move forward?
• Can you provide examples of contaminant groups that may present a meaningful opportunity to protect public health and reduce risk?

You want fluoride out? Say so. Bring the facts.