what??? i like mountain dew for breakfast when i get up at 3pm. what's wrong with that?
Comparison of Tooth No. 14 (exposure to Diet Mountain Dew with saliva) to Control (left)
Comparison of Tooth No. 13 (exposure to Diet Mountain Dew without saliva) to Control (left)
Drinks comparison
Out of the four liquids used in this experiment, Coca-Cola was the most acidic with a pH of 2 and had the worst effect on the teeth, causing significant pitting and erosion. It was followed by Gatorade with a pH of 3, and Mountain Dew and Sprite with a pH of 4. These drinks showed less decalcification and pitting, respectively.
Conclusion
After performing two trials of this experiment, one can draw the conclusion that saliva does in fact have a protective effect on teeth. When exposed to highly acidic drinks such as Coca-Cola, the saliva was able to prevent a great amount of pitting and decalcification from occurring. The importance of salivary protection in preventing tooth decay cannot be overemphasized. From a clinical standpoint this is a very critical observation, for when saliva production is reduced due to xerostomia (dry mouth) or even daily variations of salivary flow, teeth are left unprotected and can start decaying at a much faster rate than if saliva were present.1,9,10 The advice clinicians can give to patients, especially teenagers, is to completely avoid acidic drinks, especially at night-time when there is a drastic reduction in the salivary flow. This also applies to medication-induced xerostomia, in an already aging population where the rate of caries is rapidly increasing. When there is a great amount of tooth decay as a result of little saliva, patients experience pain and suffering, inability to chew properly, and an increase in health costs. The best advice to give to patients is to refrain from consuming ACBs on a regular basis because they can cause great harm and damage to their dentition.
References:
1. Perno JL, Crossley H. Unraveling the mysteries of saliva: its importance in maintaining oral health. General Dentistry 2007; 55.4:288-96.
2. Bassiouny MA, Kuroda S, Yang J. Topographic and radiographic profile assessment of dental erosion. General Dentistry 2007; 55.4:297-305.
3. Von Fraunhofer A, Matthew RM. Effects of sports drinks and other beverages on dental enamel. General Dentistry 2005; 53.1:28-31.
4. Thanabodi P, Chanothai, Hengtrakool, et al. The effect of salivary factors on dental erosion in various age groups and tooth surfaces. The Journal of the American Dental Association 2009; 140.9:1137-143.
5. Jensdottir T, Nauntofte B, Buchwald C, et al. Effects of sucking acidic candy on whole-mouth saliva composition. Caries Research 2005; 39.6:468-74.
6. Larsen MJ, Nyvad B. Enamel erosion by some soft drinks and orange juices relative to their pH, buffering effect and contents of calcium phosphate. Caries Research 1999; 33:81-87.
7. Bassiouny MA, Kuroda S, Yang J. Topographic and radiographic profile assessment of dental erosion Part II: effect of citrus fruit juices on human dentition. General Dentistry 2008;56.2:136-43.
8. Squires S. Why soft drinks are dangerous to your health. Natural Health: Chet Day's Huge Collection of Healthy Eating Recipes and Natural Health Articles. Web. 19 Mar. 2008.
https://chetday.com/softdrinkdangers.htm.
9. Wetton S, Hughes J, West N, et al. Exposure time of enamel and dentine to saliva for protection against erosion: a study in vitro. Caries Research 2006; 40.3:213-17.
10. Hara AT, Ando M, González-Cabezas C, et al. Protective effect of the dental pellicle against erosive challenges in situ. Journal of Dental Research 2006; 85:612-16.
https://www.perioeducation.com/articles.aspx?b=136