What is "fluorapatite"

n. (context mineral English) A calcium halophosphate mineral, in which fluoride replaces the hydroxide of apatite, that is mined as a phosphate ore, and occurs in the enamel of tooth.

n. a form of apatite in which fluorine predominates over chlorine

Fluorapatite, often with the alternate spelling of fluoroapatite, is a phosphate mineral with the formula Ca(PO)F (calcium fluorophosphate). Fluorapatite is a hard crystalline solid. Although samples can have various color (green, brown, blue, violet, or colorless), the pure mineral is colorless as expected for a material lacking transition metals. Along with hydroxylapatite, it is an important component of tooth enamel.

Fluorapatite crystallizes in a hexagonal crystal system. It is often combined as a solid solution with hydroxylapatite (Ca(PO)OH or Ca(PO)(OH)) in biological matrices. Chlorapatite (Ca(PO)Cl) is another related structure. Industrially, the mineral is an important source of both phosphoric and hydrofluoric acids.

Fluorapatite as a mineral is the most common phosphate mineral. It occurs widely as an accessory mineral in igneous rocks and in calcium rich metamorphic rocks. It commonly occurs as a detrital or diagenic mineral in sedimentary rocks and is an essential component of phosphorite ore deposits. It occurs as a residual mineral in lateritic soils.

Fluorapatite is found in the teeth of sharks and other fishes in varying concentrations. It is also present in human teeth that have been exposed to fluoride ions, for example, through water fluoridation or by using fluoride-containing toothpaste. The presence of fluorapatite helps prevent tooth decay or dental caries. Fluoroapatite has a critical pH of 4.5, thus, it makes tooth structure more resistant to additional caries attack. It has a mild bacteriostatic property as well which helps in decreasing the proliferation of Streptococcus mutans, the predominant bacteria related to dental caries.