Assessing the Effect of Low Calorie Soda Beverages on Primary Tooth Enamel: An In Vitro Study

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of low calorie soda beverages on the enamel of primary teeth. : Fifty enamel slabs were prepared from twenty primary extracted teeth and were equally divided into five groups: a) 0.9% NaCl (Control), b) Coca-Cola Classic (Sucrose), c) Diet Coke (Aspartame), d) Zevia Cola (Erythritol), e) Coca-Cola Life (Stevia). Each specimen was exposed to the beverage for a total of sixty minutes. Enamel surface roughness was measured before and after the exposures using a LEXT OLS4000 3D Laser Measuring Microscope. All tested sodas resulted to a statistically significant change on the surface roughness of the enamel (p =.000). However, this effect did not differ significantly between the different treatment groups (p =.103). Both regular soda and low calorie soda containing different commercial sweeteners appear to have an effect on the surface morphology of primary tooth enamel. Thus, it is important to discourage the intake of any type of soda as part of the dietary advice provided in the dental office.