BEVERAGE EFFECTS ON
HUMAN TOOTH ENAMEL
By: Frankie Vozza
Central Catholic High School
PROBLEM
Does the prolonged exposure of human teeth
in a beverage effect the thickness of enamel?
DENTAL PRINCIPLES
The
profession of diagnosing and treating
conditions that occur in the tissues of the
mouth
Necessary
for complete overall health
TOOTH ANATOMY: ENAMEL
Hardest
and most mineralized substance of
the body.
Ninety-six
percent mineral with four percent
being water and other organic material
Often
up to 2.5 millimeters thick
TOOTH ANATOMY-DENTIN
One
of the four major components of teeth
Covered
by the enamel and surrounds the
entire pulp.
Less
mineralized than enamel
Necessary
Seventy
for the support of enamel.
percent of mineral, twenty percent
organic material and ten percent water.
TOOTH ANATOMY- PULP
Softest
part of the tooth
Lies
in the root and extends all of the way to
the top part of the tooth
The
pulp contains: blood vessels, nerves,
and connective tissue
Essential
for supplying the tooth with
nutrients and sensation.
TOOTH ANATOMY- NERVE
Contained
in the pulp of the tooth.
Send
signals to the brain that convey where the teeth
are in the mouth (If the mouth is open or closed).
Supplies
sensation of pain
TOOTH ANATOMY
PERIODONTAL LIGAMENT
Specialized
tissues that attach the tooth to the bone
Acts
as guard in which it detects the forces being
placed on the teeth
Supporting
width
tissue and is about 0.2 millimeters in
THE HUMAN TOOTH
PROCESS OF TOOTH DECAY




The tooth is the most common site for the
initiation tooth decay.
Occurs within the deep grooves, pits, and
fissures of enamel.
These locations are impossible to reach with
a toothbrush and allow for bacteria to reside
Leads to the demineralization of enamel
PROCESS OF TOOTH DECAY


Sugars from candies, soft drinks,
and juices play a significant role
in tooth decay.
pH in the mouth initially
decreases from the ingestion of
sugars



Enamel is demineralized and
left vulnerable for about 30
minutes.
Enamel begins to demineralize
and eventually the acid eats
away into the thickness of the
enamel
ACIDITY OF
USED
BEVERAGES
pH
scale: a range
of values that are
used to express
acidity or basicity
of a solution.
Describes
a
solution in which is
lower than 7 is
acidic and higher
than 7 is basic. ( 7
is neutral)
Beverage
Acidity Level
(Ph scale)
Coke Classic
2.53
Milk, 2%
6.8
Orange Juice
3.30-4.15
Tap Water
4.0-7.0
Pure Water
7.0
PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE
To determine if the
prolonged exposure to a
beverage has an effect on
tooth enamel.
EXPERIMENTAL MEASUREMENT AND
INTERPRETATION
1.Used perioprobe to determine thickness of enamel
under dissecting microscope
2. Used explorer to test tactile perception of the
tooth
Null Hypothesis
The prolonged exposure of enamel in a beverage will not
cause teeth to decay.
Alternative Hypothesis
The prolong exposure of enamel in a beverage will cause
measurable tooth decay
MATERIALS
1.PERIOPROBE
2. DISSECTING MICROSCOPE
3. EXPERIMENTAL LIQUIDS (MILK, POP,
ORANGE JUICE, WATER, DISTILLED WATER)
4. EXTRACTED AND STERILIZED HUMAN
TEETH
5. LAB MATERIALS (PLASTER MIXING
EQUIPMENT)
PROCEDURE
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Precisely measured the amount of pure water to be
put into plastic container with graduated cylinder (1
liter)
Sterilized the extracted teeth and visually examined,
making sure no defects were present.
Mounted four teeth in each plaster trough.
Placed the teeth inside the plastic container
completely submerged in liquid.
Let the teeth soak in pure water for twelve hours
nonstop then removed teeth from liquid environment
for 12 hours.
Repeated Step 6 for Four weeks daily.
8. After four weeks, teeth were removed and rinsed
thoroughly.
9. Teeth were then sectioned with a diamond toothed cutting
bur by dental student at Univ. of Pittsburgh Dental School.
10. Used a perioprobe (dental instrument) to measure the
thickness of enamel at cusp tips using dissecting
microscope provided by CCHS.
11. Recorded the data in a Record Book and computed
averages.
12. Made general visual and tactile observations and recorded
findings.
13. Repeated Steps 5-12 with each set of mounted teeth in their
respective experimental liquid ( Milk, Pop, Juice, Tap
water).
14. Compared data charts together and analyzed results,
making comparisons of enamel thickness measurements.
Data
Beverage
Trial 1
Trial 2
Trial 3
Trial 4
Average
Orange
Juice
2.25
2.50
2.0
2.0
2.1875
Teeth appeared more
translucent than control
Milk
3.0
2.19
2.0
2.2
2.525
No observable change
Tap Water
2.75
3.0
2.9
2.4
2.7625
No observable change
Water
2.0
2.0
1.7
1.75
1.8625
No observable change
Pop
2.2
2.1
2.2
1.8
2.05
Observations
Dark brown color
extended deep into tooth
with soft outer surface
Table 1. Thicknesses of Enamel measured under dissecting microscope and general observations.
THICKNESS OF ENAMEL
3.5
3
2.5
Trial 1
2
Trial 2
1.5
Trial 3
Trial 4
1
Average
0.5
0
Water
Orange Juice
Milk
Data measured in decimals using dental perioprobe
Tap Water
Pop
ENAMEL THICKNESS
3
2.5
2
Average
1.5
1
0.5
0
Water
Orange
Juice
Milk
Tap
Water
Pop
ENAMEL THICKNESS DUNNETT’S TEST
T- CRITICAL= 3.70
Beverage
T-Value
Interpretation
Soda
1.08
Not Significant
Orange Juice
1.65
Not Significant
Milk
2.47
Not Significant
Tap Water
4.58
Significant
CONCLUSIONS

Rejected the alternative and accepted the null
hypothesis

No significant difference in enamel thickness

Liquids alone cannot cause teeth to decay.

Demineralization did occur but the teeth did not decay.
LIMITATIONS, EXTENSIONS,
AND FUTURE STUDIES
Limitations
Decay
did not exactly occur because chemical,
pathological, and mechanical factors were not all
present.
Not
all teeth were identical.
Extensions, and Future Studies
Larger groups of teeth will be employed in the
next series of testing.

Mechanical
Different
breakdown will also be a factor
acidic beverages will be tested
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Bauman,
Robert W. Microbiology with Diseases by
Taxonomy (2nd Edition) (The Microbiology Place Series).
San Francisco: Benjamin Cummings, 2006. Print.
Roberson,
Theodore. Sturdevant's Art & Science of
Operative Dentistry. Chicago: Mosby-Year Book, 2001.
Print.
Myers,
P., R. Espinosa, C. S. Parr, T. Jones, G. S.
Hammond, and T. A. Dewey. 2006. The Animal Diversity
Web (online). Accessed January 29, 2010 at
http://animaldiversity.org.
http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/tc/tooth-decay-topicoverview