Effect of different protective agents on enamel erosion: An in vitro investigation

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this in vitrostudy was to compare the effect of different protective agents on enamel erosion by measuring mean percentage weight loss. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Extracted teeth were sectioned into uniform slabs and enamel specimens were randomly distributed to different groups. Initial weight of all enamel specimens was registered. The protective agents used in this study were Tooth Mousse, MI Paste Plus, Remin Pro and Remin Pro Forte. A control group was treated just with tap water. All the specimens were immersed in Coca-Cola for a total of 8 min at room temperature, dried and weighed. Enamel dissolution caused by acidic soft drink was analyzed: specimens were weighed after each immersion period and mean percent weight loss was calculated. Weight loss data were subjected to Analysis of Variance (One-way ANOVA) followed by Bonferroni’s post hoc tests. RESULTS: All the groups showed a statistically significant loss of weight (p<0.01) during the testing periods, increased after 8 days (~55%) and 12 days (~70%) of exposure. Specimens treated with protective agents showed significantly lower % of weight loss especially with Remin Pro or Remin Pro Forte. CONCLUSIONS: Soft drinks can cause enamel erosion, but protective agents tested may enhance enamel resistance against erosion. Key words:Enamel, erosion, protective agents, soft drinks, toothpastes.