Analysis of the erosive potential of calcium-containing acidic beverages

The occurrence and progress of enamel demineralization may be reduced in the presence of its reaction products, such as calcium. Therefore, in this study the hypothesis that lower erosive potential may be expected for calcium-containing beverages was tested. Ten commercially available beverages, five with and five without calcium supplementation, were tested in two phases. In the first phase, the pH, titratable acidity, and concentrations of calcium (total and ionic), phosphorus and fluoride, were analyzed. In the second phase, the ability of the test products to erode enamel was measured, at different time-points. Within the chemical properties tested, pH, calcium-ion concentration, and total calcium showed a strong correlation with enamel demineralization and enamel wear. Lower levels of enamel demineralization and wear were found for most of the calcium-containing beverages than for those without calcium. Calcium-ion content, as well as pH, were found to be good predictors of the erosive potential of the beverages tested. Generally, beverages supplemented with calcium had a reduced capacity to demineralize enamel.