BEVERAGE EFFECTS ON HUMAN TOOTH ENAMEL

By: Frankie VozzaCentral 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 for the support of enamel.

Seventy 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 tissue and is about 0.2 millimeters in width

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.PERIOPROBE2. DISSECTING MICROSCOPE3. EXPERIMENTAL LIQUIDS (MILK, POP, ORANGE JUICE, WATER, DISTILLED WATER)4. EXTRACTED AND STERILIZED HUMAN TEETH5. LAB MATERIALS (PLASTER MIXING EQUIPMENT)

PROCEDURE1. Precisely measured the amount of pure water to

be put into plastic container with graduated cylinder (1 liter)

2. Sterilized the extracted teeth and visually examined, making sure no defects were present.

3. Mounted four teeth in each plaster trough. 4. Placed the teeth inside the plastic container

completely submerged in liquid.5. Let the teeth soak in pure water for twelve hours

nonstop then removed teeth from liquid environment for 12 hours.

6. 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.

DataBeverage Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3 Trial 4 Average Observations

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 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

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

Water Orange Juice Milk Tap Water Pop

Trial 1

Trial 2

Trial 3

Trial 4

Average

Data measured in decimals using dental perioprobe

ENAMEL THICKNESS

Wat

er

Orang

e Ju

ice

Milk

Tap

Wat

erPo

p 0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

Average

ENAMEL THICKNESS DUNNETT’S TESTT- 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 breakdown will also be a factor

Different 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-topic-overview