Dissolution of Enamel on Exposure to Various Commercial Beverages Available in India

The study was aimed to estimate the pH of the commonly available soft drinks in the Indian market and to assess the detrimental effects of the juices and beverages on the tooth surface by measuring the weight loss of the tooth sample.

The study was done with eight different types of commercially available carbonated drink and fruit juices available in the Indian market among which six were carbonated drinks and two were juices. Carbonated drinks experimented were Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Fanta, Mirinda, 7Up and Sprite, and two fruit juices were Tropicana orange juice and real orange juice. Ten different bottles from each category were obtained, and the pH was estimated. Each of the beverages was divided into batch of 10 containers containing the tooth sample. Weight of all samples was measured at 24, 48, 72, 96, and 120 hours with subsequently changing each solution at an interval of 24 hours.

The mean pH of the beverages was found ranging from 2.13 ± 0.02 in Pepsi to 3.41 ± 0.02 in Tropicana on opening. The mean pH of water was found to be 6.98 ± 0.01. Among carbonated drinks, the mean weight loss after 24 hours was highest in Coca-Cola and least in 7Up. Tropicana fruit juice had a higher tooth loss than real orange juices. When compared with water, the tooth loss was significantly higher in Coca-Cola after all specified time (hours).

The pH of both carbonated drinks and fruit juices was below the critical pH. The weight loss was also seen after every 24 hours in all the carbonated drinks and beverages. The study showed that these commercial beverages are harmful to the tooth structures, and hence, the health professionals play a major role in educating the population about its effects and advising them to use these products precisely.

The change in lifestyle has increased the demand of soft drinks and artificial juice in Indian market. The use of these carbonated drinks and fruit juices causes damage to the tooth structure in all ages, especially in young mass. Our study provides an idea about the deleterious effects of these commercial drinks on dental hard tissues.