In vitro protection against dental erosion afforded by commercially available, calcium-fortified 100 percent juices.

BACKGROUND

Calcium in acidic beverages can decrease a person's risk of experiencing dental erosion. The authors compared the pHs and titratable acidities of commercially available calcium-fortified and unfortified 100 percent juices, and enamel and root surface lesion depths after they were exposed to different juices.

METHODS

The authors measured the pH and titratable acidity of calcium-fortified and unfortified 100 percent juices. They exposed enamel and root surfaces to different 100 percent juices for 25 hours and measured lesion depths. They used the Spearman rank correlation test and the two-sample t test to identify associations between the juices' properties and lesion depths and to compare lesion depths between fortified and unfortified juices.

RESULTS

The authors found that fortifying apple, orange and grapefruit juices with calcium prevented enamel erosion and decreased root surface erosion (P < .01). They also found that fortifying white grape juice with calcium decreased enamel erosion (P < .001) but not root surface erosion. They observed that mean lesion depths were greater in root surfaces than in enamel surfaces after exposure to unfortified orange juice and all fortified juices (P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

Calcium concentrations in commercially available, calcium-fortified 100 percent juices are sufficient to decrease and prevent erosion associated with extended exposure to a beverage.

CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS

People at risk of experiencing erosion could decrease their erosion risk by consuming calcium-fortified juices.