Alcopop induced erosion: management in general denta practice

Alcopops, which are fruit flavoured alcoholic drinks, have been implicated as an aetiological factor in dental erosion. They are commonly drunk by 18-25 year-olds owing to their fruity flavours, but increasingly in the UK they are consumed by underage teenagers. A popular lemon-based vodka alcopop is presented as a possible causative factor of dental erosion in a 19-year-old female, who started drinking it regularly at the age of 15 for four years. She was subsequently treated preventively and conservatively in a National Health Service (NHS) dental practice, in North Wales, using freehand compomer and minimally prepared porcelain veneers.

Frequent consumption of excessive amounts of extrinsic acids causes significant dental erosion. Alcopops, owing to their high citrus fruit contents and acidic pH, are known to cause erosion. They are commonly drunk by adults up to their mid twenties, but increasingly so by underage teenagers, especially females.