The Effect of Digestive Medicine on Enamel Erosion

Lee, Hye Jin; Oh, Han Na

Abstract

Consumption of liquid digestive medicine has continually grown in recent years. This present study was designed to evaluate the capability of liquid digestive medicine to erode dental enamel, relating the pH and titratable acidity of liquid digestive medicine. Three commercially available liquid digestive medicines were chosen these were Gashwalmyeungsu, Saengrokchun and Wicheongsu. The liquid digestive medicines were evaluated in respect to pH, titratable acidity and concentrations of calcium and phosphate, respectively. This measure was carried out three times for each digestive medicine and was recorded the data as mean (standard deviation). Bovine enamel specimens measured microhardness at base line and then were randomly assigned to 4 groups of 10 each. The specimens were immersed into each liquid digestive medicine for 1, 3, 5, 10, 15, and 30 minutes and then evaluated each time by VHN. All digestive medicines had a pH of less than 3.7. Wicheongsu had the lowest pH 2.93 and Gashwalmyeungsu had highest pH 3.63. In pH 5.5, titratable acidity of Wicheongsu was 1.27 ml. Gashwalmyeungsu was 0.63 ml. Saengrokchun was 0.60 ml. All liquid digestive medicines showed low concentration of calcium and phosphate. The microhardness of specimens after immersion into liquid digestive medicines was continuously reduced in all digestive medicines. After 30-minute treatment in liquid digestive medicines, Wicheongsu containing low pH and high tiratable acidity was shown to be lowest microhardness value (207.80µ15.52). The three liquid digestive medicines caused surface softening of enamel erosion. We conclude that drinks, commonly consumed by functional dyspepsia patient can cause erosion of enamel.