Acid reactivity of carbonated apatites with strontium and fluoride substitutions.

Carbonated apatites containing approximately 3.0 or 6.5% CO3 were precipitated in the presence of sodium, strontium, and/or fluoride at various concentrations. Almost all the available strontium and fluoride was incorporated into the crystals, whereas only a portion of the carbonate and sodium present was taken up. When incorporated together, Sr and F improved the crystallinity of carbonated apatites and markedly reduced their acid reactivity. This phenomenon may partially explain the observed reduction in caries for populations whose drinking water contains optimum levels of Sr at 5-10 mg/l and F at 1-2 mg/l.