Enamel Flashcards
What are the two stages of precipitation?
nucleation and crystal growth
What are the two stages of enamel crystal growth?
crystal elongation and crystal maturation
How does crystal elongation occur?
(prior to maturation) involves the lengthening of crystals along the C axis
How does crystal maturation occur?
(after elongation) involves the deposition of ions on the sides of the crystals, increasing thickness and width
What is the D of water?
80
Why is the dielectric constant for water so high?
because it is polar
Why is enamel less soluble in water?
Molecules or more densely packed, allowing for greater attractive forces
What is coulomb’s law?
F=q1*q1/(r^2)D
What are the “triangular” spaces between phosphate ions in enamel?
interstices
What fill the interstices between phosphate ions?
1/3 OH-, 2/3 Ca2+
What percentage of calcium ions are Cal?
40%
What is the ratio of interstices to phosphates?
2:1
What does the F- ion improve the attractive forces?
it is smaller than OH- and allows the structure to pack more densely, improving attractive forces
How are the phosphate lattices layered?
in an A-B-A-B arrangement
the _______ facing interstices of the A layer are aligned with the _______ facing interstices of the B layer.
Right : Left
Which direction do the non-columnar interstices face in the A layer? B layer? What are they capped by? What fills them?
Left : Right : Phosphates : Non-columnar Ca2+ ions
How many oxygens does a columnar Ca2+ (Cal) coordinate with?
9 phosphate oxygens
How many oxygens does a non-columnar Ca2+ ion coordinate with?
7 (6 phosphate and 1 hydroxyl)
What is Ksp? What do they describe?
solubility product constant (equilibrium of adding and loosing ions) : describe the behavior of lowly soluble ionic solids
What is the chemical formula for Calcium Hydroxyapatite (HAP)?
Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2
Give the Keq for HAP. (the formula for Keq)
[Ca2+]^10 x [PO4;3-]^6 x [OH-]^2 / [Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2]
What value does the concentration of a sparingly soluble solid have in a Keq equation?
1
What is Ksp when the solution is at equilibrium with the solid?
Ksp = Keq
What is Qsp? What is it equal to?
ion product : the product of the concentrations of of the ions that make up the crystal, each raised to the power corresponding to the number of that ion in the chemical formula (basically Keq=Qsp/[S])
What is Keq?
equilibrium constant
How does the relationship of Qsp and Ksp affect mineralization of enamel?
When Qsp=Ksp there will be no net gain or loss of ions. When QspKsp the crystal grows (again, will bring back to equilibrium)
Explain the relationship of Qsp and Ksp. Why does it work the way it does?
Qsp is the ions in a dissociated state. When there are very few free ions (i.e. QspKsp) the solution will again push to equilibrium by growing the crystal and taking away free ions.
What is a solution called when its Qsp>Ksp?
Super-saturated
What mineral is formed when F replaces all OH? Only some of them?
Calcium Fluroapatite : Calcium Fluorhydroxyapatite
What does a high Ksp mean?
very soluble
What does carbonate (CO3;2-) substitute for in HAP?
one phosphate, or two hydroxyls
What affect does carbonate have on the solubility of HAP? its Ksp?
it decreases the stability of the molecule making it more soluble : higher Ksp
How is the charge discrepancy between carbonate and phosphate made up for when there is a substitution?
getting rid of a Cal (columnar Ca)
How can an enamel layer become more stable after being weekend by carbonation?
the weaker areas selectively dissolve during times of low Qsp, so it can dissolve, then remineralize (in a time of high Qsp) with HAP!
What positive effect can remineralization of enamel have on your teeth with age?
can make them semi resistant to caries
Why does acid cause demineralization?
Acids (proton donors) will give their protons to the free ions in the solution, lowering Qsp, and causing demineralization
What is pKa?
the pH when half the ions are protonated
How can an ion have more than one pKa?
If it has more than one dissociable proton. Forms with fewer hydrogens will be in higher number in basic solutions (PO4;3-<>HPO4;2-), while forms with more hydrogens will be in acidic solutions (HPO4;2-<>H2PO4-)
How is pKa related to pH?
pKa is a measure of an ions affinity for a hydrogen ion. High pKa means high affinity. So high pKa would be related to bases, low pKa would be acids (just like pH)
What two benefits does fluoride give?
it strengthens the ionic lattice, and its Qsp lowers at a slower rate, meaning it will stay in equilibrium at a lower pH
What is a healthy fluoride content in water?
0.7 mg/L (ppm)
How many protons are generated per unit cell of HAP added to enamel? Why?
11 : we need 6 PO4;2- per unit cell. we must dissociate HPO4 and H2PO4 in order to get these (at 7.2 they are roughly equal, so 3 of each nets 9 hydrogens added to solution). also, the 2 OH- that we need will come from H20, adding 2 more hydrogens. 11 total
What is the henderson-hasselbalch equation?
pH=pKa+log(A-/HA)
When is enamel crystal organization established?
during ribbon elongation