Effect of Green Tea Extract on the Treatment of Dentin Erosion: An in Vitro Study

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to analyze the impact of green tea on dentin erosion. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twelve extracted sound human premolars were immersed in Coca Cola with a pH of 2.8 for 5 minutes. The surface microhardness was measured with a Knoop diamond under a load of 50gr/10s. The teeth were immersed in green tea (Camellia sinensis) solution for one minute. The microhardness values were measured again and compared with pretreatment values by the Wilcoxon test. Three eroded teeth, which were treated with green tea, were evaluated under scanning electron microscope. RESULTS: The mean ± SD of microhardness values before and after immersion in green tea were 46.5±2.79 and 54.5±4.4, respectively with statistically significant differences between the two measurements (P<0.01). In SEM evaluation there was an improvement in eroded dentin appearance and there were deposits on the dentin surface. CONCLUSION: Green tea (Camellia sinensis) increased the microhardness of eroded dentin and improved the eroded texture.