The Effect of carbonated beverages and soft beer on enamel microhardness of permanent teeth

Excess consumption of acidic foods is the most common etiologic factor of human tooth erosion. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of the most commonly consumed carbonated beverages and soft beer in Iran on enamel microhardness of intact deciduous canine teeth.
In this in vitro study, 30 human deciduous canine teeth, free of cracks, caries, wear and hypocalcification, were divided into 3 groups randomly. A 2 ×2-mm square of the labial surface enamel of teeth in each group was exposed to 40 mL of one of the fresh drinks for 5 minutes. The microhardness of the teeth was measured in each group by the application of a 50-gr force with the use of microhardness test equipment. Microhardness changes were evaluated in each group with paired t-test and between groups with one-way ANOVA. Wilcoxon signed rank test was used to compare the 30 test areas on each tooth in each group.
The mean enamel microhardness after immersion in Zamzam Cola and Behnoosh lemon Delester decreased enamel surface microhardness up to 18.1% and 13.3%, respectively. Tap water did not have a significant effect on enamel surface microhardness (p value = 0.05). There was a significant difference in the decrease in enamel microhardness between the beverages tested (p value = 0.001).
Based on the results of the present study, enamel microhardness decreased after application of Zamzam Cola® and Behnoosh lemon Delester® in vitro, with a greater decrease with the use of Zamzam Cola compared to Delester.