Dental Erosion

Introduction:

Dental erosion is loss of tooth enamel caused by a chemical process without involving bacteria [a]. Research has shown that acidic drinks have been linked to dental erosion, most likely due to their low pH levels. Dental erosion usually results from acids acting on the tooth surface. A pH (potential of Hydrogen) of 5.5 is traditionally considered to be the 'critical pH' for enamel dissolution.

Currently, dental erosion is considered a significant clinical problem in the oral health of school children and young adults. The problem appears to be most severe among athletes; with an investigation in Australia reporting that between 20-30 percent of university athletes have dental erosion. This was due to the carbonated sports drinks athletes consume as a means of rehydration. This is associated with severe loss of dental enamel, particularly when consumed during periods when there is little saliva in the mouth, such as immediately after heavy sporting activities [b]. It is common for most people to brush their teeth immediately after consuming acidic foods and drinks, because they believe it will remove the acid from their teeth. This theory has however been believed to cause more damage to the teeth [c]. Little is known about the erosive potential of acid drinks within the first minutes of exposure to teeth, and about the potentially protective role of salivary proteins. However, many solutions and gels have been developed to strengthen and re-mineralise tooth material. Fluoride is the common mineral used to re-mineralise tooth enamel [d]. A new gel containing Calcium and Phosphate has been developed to re-mineralise tooth material even more [e].

The experiment was conducted to show a daily routine of consuming an acidic beverage and brushing ones teeth directly after consuming and how it causes damage to teeth. The teeth used in this experiment were collected from Soni Dental. The teeth that were used are wisdom teeth, because wisdom teeth are not exposed in the human mouth, it has no decay and therefore it is more accurate to attain data. The teeth were cleaned, sterilised and placed in an incubator to remove any liquid that could affect the weight. Coke, Orange juice and coffee were chosen because they are common everyday drinks and Gatorade was chosen because it is a common sports drink. Water was used as a control, because it has a neutral pH. Once the teeth were placed in the drinks, the drinks were re-filled every 3/4 days to maintain the acidity and sustain accurate results. The fluoride solution contains Sodium Fluoride and Hydrofluoric Acid, the common Fluoride ion re-mineralises tooth material even after acid has been in contact with the teeth. Since tooth enamel is largely made up of the minerals Calcium and Phosphate, a new solution called GC Tooth Mousse, which is made of Calcium and Phosphate ions, was developed to re-mineralise tooth material.

Aim:

PART A

To determine which common beverages dissolve tooth substance the most.

PART B

To prove that brushing ones teeth after consuming acidic beverages destroys even more tooth substance than the acidic beverages alone.

PART C

To prove that applying fluoride and Calcium and Phosphate (gel) with Saliva to teeth after it has been exposed to acidic beverages can re-mineralise tooth structure, and if so, which re-mineralises it the most.

Hypothesis:

PART A

Coca Cola has the lowest pH level out of the tested beverages; therefore I expect it to dissolve more tooth substance than the other beverages.

PART B

If the teeth are brushed after it has been placed in acidic drinks, I expect more tooth substance to be dissolved.

PART C

After applying fluoride and Calcium and Phosphate (gel) with Saliva to the de-mineralised teeth, I expect them all to re-mineralise the teeth. I predict that the Calcium and Phosphate (gel) will re-mineralise tooth structure the most and fluoride to re-mineralise tooth structure the least.

Materials:

 10 Human Wisdom Teeth

 13 Sterile Universal Containers

 Coca cola

 Gatorade Sports Drink

 Orange Juice

 Coffee

 Water

 Oral-B Minute-Gel (Fluoride)

 GC Tooth Mousse (Calcium and Phosphate)

 Mg Scale

 pH Scan 2 (Portable pH Meter)

 Human Saliva

 Examination Hand Gloves

 Colgate Toothpaste

 Oral-B Toothbrush

 Incubator

 Tissue paper

Procedure:

 Label the 13 clean containers with the numbers 1-13.

Picture 1: Containers 1-10

 When performing the experiment, it is essential hand gloves are used for safety and health concerns.

 As the experiment is performed, record the results in data tables.

PART A

 Take 5 human teeth and weigh each tooth individually on an mg scale and record the results. Re-weigh the teeth, to obtain accurate results.

 Take 5 containers and fill 1 container with Coca cola, 1 container with Orange Juice, 1 container with Gatorade, 1 container with coffee and 1 container with water.

 Test the pH levels of each drink, using a portable pH meter. Place the pH meter in each container with a beverage in it and record the results.

 Label each