Fluoride

Fluoride helps fight cavities. That's why it's in our [drinking:linking] water and toothpaste. But how this mineral works its dental magic is still somewhat mysterious. Now, researchers offer an [incisive:offensive] solution. They find that fluoride treatment can loosen bacteria's grip on tooth enamel. The study is in the journal Langmuir. [Scientists:Dentists] used to think that fluoride could harden tooth enamel, helping it [retain:protein] the minerals that protect teeth from the acid produced by our oral flora. But [recent:actual] work has shown that fluoride doesn't really penetrate past the tooth's thinnest outer layer, suggesting that something other than [hardening:painting] is going on. To drill deeper into this toothsome mystery, researchers whipped up a set of [artificial:beneficial] choppers, made of the same stuff as teeth.