[The action of carbonated drinks in the oral cavity]

The effects of 9 popular carbonate beverages, 10% sucrose solution and distilled water on the oral cavity homeostasis were studied in 35 volunteer students of dentistry. pH, viscosity, buffer capacity and sugar concentration were measured in mixed salivary pools, as were salivary excretion rate and the degree of its stimulation and the pH values in 6 oral cavity sites by means of antimony electrodes. All the beverages examined were found to exert a higher effect on the studied parameters than a sucrose solution, though the beverages induced shorter-lasting effects in the dental deposit pH, particularly if drunk through a straw. The beverage temperature had no effect on the studied parameters. The authors recommend lower sugar levels in beverages and suggest that they be drunk through a straw.