Sodium fluoride is a chemical compound, an inorganic salt of fluorine.

The name describes the structure of the molecule:

• Sodium (Na). Sodium is an alkali metal. This group of elements is highly reactive and is found in group 1 of the periodic table. Sodium is soft and silvery-white in colour. It is highly reactive, especially with water, and is commonly found in salts and minerals.
• Fluorine (F). Fluorine is a halogen, found in group 17 of the periodic table. It is the most electronegative and reactive of all the elements. In its pure form, it is a pale yellow, highly corrosive gas. Fluorine is found in nature only in ionic form, as fluoride in various minerals.

In terms of mass percent composition:

• Sodium (Na) contributes approximately 54.75%
• Fluorine (F) contributes approximately 45.25%

The synthesis process takes place in different steps:

• Hydrogen fluoride production. The first step involves the production of hydrogen fluoride, derived from the mineral fluorite (calcium fluoride) in a reaction with concentrated sulphuric acid.
• Reaction. Hydrogen fluoride is then reacted with sodium hydroxide or sodium carbonate. This reaction produces sodium fluoride and water.

What it is for and where

Sodium fluoride is a chemical compound much discussed in the scientific literature. It offers some advantages: it is able to restore, at the concentrations indicated, the surface profile of enamel, has shown an interesting ability to attenuate dentine sensitivity, and has antimicrobial efficacy. On the other hand, fluoride has been found to be neurotoxic, which has led European legislators to oblige cosmetic product manufacturers to compulsorily indicate on the label the fluoride content or, as in this case, sodium fluoride.

Cosmetics

It is a restricted ingredient   III / 31 as a Relevant Item in the Annexes of the European Cosmetics Regulation 1223/2009.

Maximum concentration in ready for use preparation:
0,15 % calculated as Fluorine. When mixed with other fluorine compounds permitted under this Annex, total Fluorine concentration must not exceed 0,15 %
Wording of conditions of use and warnings:
Contains sodium fluoride For any toothpaste with compounds containing fluorine in a concentration of 0.1 to 0.15% calculated as Fluorine unless it is already labelled as contra-indicated for children (e.g. "for adult use only") the following labelling is obligatory: "Children of 6 years and younger: use a pea-sized amount for supervised brushing to minimise swallowing. In case of intake of fluoride from other sources consult a dentist or doctor."

Antiplaque agent. This ingredient has the property of preventing the onset of caries by fighting the bacteria responsible for acid corrosion of teeth.

Oral care agent. This ingredient can be placed in the oral cavity to improve and/or maintain oral hygiene and health, to prevent or improve a disorder of the teeth, gums, mucous membrane. It provides cosmetic effects to the oral cavity as a protector, cleanser, deodorant.

Medical

Adjuvant in osteoporosis together with calcium and vitamin D

Where is it?

• Veal liver
• apples
• Cod
• You
• Kidney
• eggs

Commercial applications

Cavity Prevention. It's a common ingredient in toothpastes and mouthwashes to prevent tooth decay.

Water Treatment. It's sometimes added to drinking water to prevent tooth decay in the population.

Preservative Agents. Used in some applications to prevent the growth of bacteria and other microorganisms.

Glass Industry. Used in the production of enameled and opaque glass.

Desensitizing Agents. Can be used in specific products to treat tooth sensitivity.

Sodium fluoride studies

• Molecular Formula: NaF or FNa
• Molecular Weight: 41.988 g/mol
• CAS: 7681-49-4
• EC Number: 231-667-8
• UNII: 8ZYQ1474W7
• MDL number:MFCD00003524
• PubChem Substance ID:24899770

Synonyms:

• Florocid
• Floridine
• Zymafluor
• Fluonatril
• Ossin
• Fluoraday
• Fluoride, sodium
• Fluorident
• Pediaflor
• Fluorigard
• Sodium fluoride (NaF)
• Fluorol
• Sodium flouride
• Flursol
• duraphat