Characterisation of fluorine containing glasses by 19F, 27Al, 29Si and 31P MAS-NMR spectroscopy

The local structure of the phosphate containing glasses with regard to fluorine, calcium, strontium and phosphate is similar to that of fluorapatite the mineral phase of tooth. This may explain the ease with which these glasses crystallize to fluorapatites and the recently observed mineralization of glass polyalkenoate cements found in vivo.