EROSIVE POTENTIAL OF SPORTS BEVERAGES ON HUMAN ENAMEL “IN VITRO”

ABSTRACT Introduction: The low pH of sports drinks may cause tooth enamel demineralization. Objective: To measure Vickers hardness of human enamel exposed to sports drinks. Methods: Human molars were used to collect the enamel samples. Each sample had a test surface (exposed to the drinks) and a control surface (unexposed). The samples were exposed to isotonic drinks Gatorade and Powerade, and to maltodextrin drinks Malto Advanced and Malto Active, for 10 minutes every 12 hours over 30 days. The Vickers microhardness test was conducted with three indentations on each surface. The mean of the indentations within each group was considered in the statistical analysis. Sports drinks variables were analyzed with ANOVA/Tukey (p≤0.01). The independent t-test was used in the comparison between the control and test surfaces of each drink (p ≤ 0.05). Results: Enamel exposure to Gatorade (p = 0.000) Malto Advanced (p = 0.000) and Malto Active (p = 0.000) was seen to significantly reduce microhardness, while the isotonic drink Powerade had no significant effect on enamel (p = 0.248). Conclusion: It was concluded that with the exception of the isotonic drink Powerade, all the sports drinks tested caused a reduction in the microhardness of human enamel. Evidence Level III; Therapeutic studies - Investigating the Results of Treatment.