Zinc incorporation in human dental calculus.

We present here the first study of the local environment of zinc ions in biological calcium phosphates. It was suggested from in vitro studies that zinc inhibits the formation of hydroxyapatite and promotes the formation of more soluble phases, like tricalcium phosphate. Several mechanisms of zinc - calcium phosphate interaction were proposed, yielding either to the adsorption or to the incorporation of zinc ions into the phosphate structure. The results obtained here show that, under in vivo conditions, the zinc atoms are fully incorporated into the crystalline structure of the calcium phosphates.