The Erosive Potential of Acidic Candies: An Ex Vivo Study

Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the erosive potential of saliva on dental enamel sucking the acidic candies, and their effects on the pH, titratable acidity (TA) and buffering capacity (β) of saliva.

Methodology: Human enamel specimens (n = 216) were randomly in 17 acidic candy groups and one negative control (paraffin wax) group. Three human volunteers sucked each candy for 5 min while spitting into a covered and chilled vial. The pH, TA and β were measured immediately after the saliva collection. For erosive challenge, each specimen was immersed in saliva at room temperature for 120 min without agitation. The erosion was measured by surface microhardness (SMH) tester and with 3D non-contact optical profilometer for depth of surface loos (DSL). Percentage of SMH change (%SMHC) was calculated. ANOVA followed by Tukey test and Pearson correlation were performed (α=0.05).

Results: All candies lowered saliva pH below 5.5, and produced significant DSL (P<0.05) and %SMHC (P<0.01) on enamel, when compared to negative control. The Baby bottle Pop candy presented the lowest erosive potential. No significant differences were observed in DSL between all candies and the negative control, except for the PicoSitos candy. However, for the %SMHC almost all the candies were significantly different from negative control. Correlations were observed between the pH and TA and β, between TA and β, and between the %SMHC and DSL variables (P<0.05).

Conclusion: Acidic candies can lower the saliva pH, hindering its buffering effect. The DSL and %SMHC analysis showed enamel dissolution with all candies investigated.