Kathleen Burke. age 11. Mattapan. Mass..
What is fluorine?
This amazing stuff is in the dental news. The dentist is always ready to polish our pearly teeth and fill the cavities. But he would rather check and admire a perfect set of teeth. Less works So he keeps his ear cocked for new ideas that may prevent cavities. Meantime. experts are always busy tracking down the causes of troubles such as tooth decay. This is where fluorine enters the picture.
Fluorine was first discovered seventy years ago. It is one of the ninety odd elements of which the world is made. In pure form it is very difficult to pin down and almost impossible to handle. Pure fluorine is a yellowish‑green gas. Its atoms are the best of mixers. They cant wait to team up with other atoms and form compounds. Fluorine will even attack glass„ It is impossible to keep this glass‑eating element in a bottle.
Such a busy element would not stay in pure form in a world full of other substances. Hence we never find its pure form in nature. It occurs in fluorine compounds. They are widespread. though not plentiful. There are small traces in sea water. in bones. in certain minerals and mineral springs. and. of all places. fluorine was known to be present in tooth enamel.
The dentists were bothered because the young children in certain areas had blotchy teeth. The older people there had fine teeth. Fluorine. it was discovered. was present in the local water supplies. Surely there must be a connection here. So the experts got busy figuring how much fluorine is good for tooth enamel. what age groups it helps and which of its compounds could be used to help those cavities. It is a tricky job and some day we may have all the answers.
It is wonderful to dream of a world with no more cavities. no more tooth decay. It may come true. or almost. Naturally we shall still check up with the dentist every six months. That will always be good sense. Anyway we need the tartar cleaned off and some of us may need a brace.
Naturally such busy element is put to work in industry. Fluorospar is a compound of aalaium and fluorine. It’s pretty green aarstals are used to help metals fuse especially in the iron industry.
When controlled. even a glass eater can be useful. Chances are. the degree marks on your thermometer‑ were etched by fluorine compound. The little tube is; first coated with wax. The lines pare scratched through the wax exposing the glass. Hydrofluorine is then brushed over the whole tube.
The stuff attacks the; exposed lines of glass.. It eats away and etches the little marks for you to check your temperature.