In: Chemistry
In the article Tooth Decay: A Delicate Balance, we learn that tooth decay occurs when the equilibrium between mineralization and demineralization becomes unsteady, according to this equation:
Ca5(PO4)3(OH) ↔ 5 Ca2+ + 3 PO43- + OH-
When a tooth decays, which way do we expect the equilibrium to lie? What does that tell us about the magnitude of K for this reaction?