A research team from the University of Iowa, recognizing that sugared beverages are playing a larger role in the diet of the American population, assessed erosion of enamel and root surfaces following exposure to selected beverages, including Coke, Diet Coke, Gatorade, Red Bull, and apple juice. Extracted teeth were painted with fingernail polish, leaving a small window of either enamel or root surface exposed to the environment. The teeth were soaked in one of the beverages for 25 hours, sectioned into thin slices, and viewed through a microscope. The amount of erosion was measured and compared among beverages for both enamel and root surfaces. The study found that Gatorade caused the most enamel erosion, followed by Red Bull and Coke, with Diet Coke and apple juice exhibiting the least erosion. Gatorade was also shown to have caused the most erosion on the root surface, followed by Red Bull, Coke, apple juice, and Diet Coke. Erosion depths were greater in root surfaces compared with enamel following exposure to Red Bull, Coke, and apple juice. Erosion depths were greater in enamel than root surfaces with Gatorade. Enamel and root surface erosion depths did not differ when exposed to Diet Coke. It was concluded that exposure of teeth to sugared beverages caused significant erosion of both the enamel and root surfaces, but it was not consistent among beverages, with some specific beverages causing more erosion than others.
(Source: American Association for Dental Research News Release, March 9, 2006)
