tooth mineral interface

The **tooth mineral interface** describes the microscopic and nanoscopic boundary layers between tooth structures (such as enamel, dentin, and cementum) and the minerals composing them, primarily *hydroxyapatite* (Ca₁₀(PO₄)₆(OH)₂)[2][3][6]. This interface governs key properties including mechanical strength, resistance to fracture, and sensitivity to demineralization or therapeutic remineralization[2][3][4]. Unlike classical drug targets, it is a complex physical–biological–chemical landscape composed of mineral crystals, organic matrix proteins (such as collagen in dentin[3], or other matrix molecules[1]), and water. Agents including fluoride and calcium act at or near these interfaces to affect mineral integrity and remineralization, but the interface itself is not a protein, receptor, transporter, or enzyme[3][6]. Thus, "tooth mineral interface" is not recognized as a canonical molecular target in pharmacology or structural biology.