Glencoe Health Practice Exam

Teeth are built from mineral crystals, mainly calcium and phosphorus, arranged as hydroxyapatite in enamel and dentin. This mineral matrix gives teeth their hardness and resilience. Calcium provides the density that makes enamel strong, while phosphorus partners with calcium to form the crystal structure that supports rigidity. Because of this direct role in forming tooth structure, calcium and phosphorus are the minerals most closely tied to healthy teeth. A diet that supplies these minerals supports enamel formation and helps with remineralization after acid exposure. Fluoride also helps protect teeth by making enamel more resistant to acid and by aiding remineralization, but it acts as a booster to the existing mineral framework rather than being a primary building block of tooth structure. The other mineral pairs listed (sodium and potassium; iron and magnesium; zinc with fluoride) don’t contribute to the main mineral skeleton of teeth in the same fundamental way as calcium and phosphorus.