Unusual dissolution behavior of tooth enamel and synthetic HAP crystals under high partial saturation conditions.

The dissolution behavior of enamel and synthetic hydroxyapatite in acidic media possessing a high degree of partial saturation was found to be neither simple surface dissolution nor linear with time. Instead, a repetitive, stepwise dissolution pattern was observed. To explain this phenomenon, a model based upon a hypothesis that the crystals dissolve in a synchronized fashion was proposed.