Agrumi: erosione dentale e fluoro. Prima parte

Aim of the work. The aim of the study was to evaluate erosion effectiveness and fluoride concentration of pure citrus drinks and citrus soft drinks. Materials and methods. 7 pure citrus drinks and 12 citrus soft drinks were considered. In both cases, samples were analyzed for pH and fluoride concentration. The measurement of pH was carried out using a pH electrode connected with GLP 22 Crison® pHmeter. Fluoride concentration was carried out using a selective electrode Crison®. Results. The study demonstrated that both pure citrus drinks and citrus soft drinks show pH values ranged between 3.6 and 1.8 and thus lower respect to critical pHs which are expected for enamel and dentine demineralization and dissolution. Regarding fluoride, measurements carried out on citrus soft drinks, generally show an absence of this ion and, only in three cases, concentrations ranged between 0.1 and 0.16 ppm. Conclusion. Our data showed that erosive potential of pure citrus drinks and citrus soft drinks is capable of dissolving, in vitro, considerable amounts of enamel and dentine. In vivo, erosion is probably limited from many factors as calcium concentration and saliva buffering effect. Absence or very little concentration of ionic fluoride dissolved in tested drinks was observed.