Interarch comparison of intraoral pH and temperature: a pilot study

PURPOSE OF STUDY: The severity of tooth wear is known to have an association with intraoral pH and temperature depending on the site. OBJECTIVE: To compare the intraoral pH and temperature between the maxillary and mandibular arch. METHODS: Fourteen participants (mean age=25.8 years) wore a custom-made intraoral appliance fitted with a pH probe and thermocouple for 24 h while carrying out normal activities including sleep. All participants wore a maxillary appliance; four participants repeated the process and wore the mandibular appliance. Measurements were taken from the palatal aspect of the upper central incisors and lingual aspect of the lower canines. Both qualitative and quantitative statistical analyses were conducted. RESULTS: The mean intraoral pH from the maxilla was 7.32 (±0.52) and 7.07 (±0.26) for the mandible. During daytime, there was no statistical significance difference between the two arches (P=0.12). During sleep, there was a significant difference (P<0.001) between the mean pH of the maxilla, 7.0 (±0.46), and mandible, 6.46 (±0.31). The fluctuation patterns of pH and temperature from both arches were similar, but the maxilla showed more variations. The mean temperature from the mandible was slightly higher (36.18 °C (±0.96)) than the maxilla, 33.12 °C (±5.51) during daytime; however, there was no statistically significance difference in temperature between the arches during daytime (awake) or sleep (P=0.27). CONCLUSION: The results showed that there is significant difference in mean intraoral pH between the maxilla and the mandible during sleep, but not during the day and this difference may be associated variations in tooth wear between the arches.