Evaluation of the effect of several acids from food on tooth wear

Galvão, Sofia Pires

http://hdl.handle.net/10400.26/48949

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Authors

Galvão, Sofia Pires

Advisor(s)

Pina, Célio

Serro, Ana Paula

Abstract(s)

The objective of this study is to analyze the impact/effect on the integrity of human teeth, more specifically on the tooth enamel layer, after exposure to three types of acids commonly present in most food products, namely citric, oxalic and ascorbic acids. The basis of this investigation is essentially related to the verification of deterioration and friction between the teeth and their wear, apparently due to acid exposure. Dental erosion is a process associated with the loss of minerals from the surface of the dental tissue through chemical processes, such as the aforementioned ingestion of acidic foods. It is also important to understand and confirm which acids are most corrosive and which lead to greater tooth erosion, as well as which chemical or other process leads to this consequence. The methodology used to evaluate/measure the resistance to erosion and wear of teeth, in the face of exposure to acids, went through several stages: Firstly, enamel samples were prepared to be subjected to acid erosion with the three acids under study, all of them prepared with the same pH (3.20). For this purpose, through a manual process, the effect of adding acids (citric, oxalic and ascorbic) to saliva (artificial) was simulated, creating a mouth environment. At this stage, we sought, above all, to verify the chemical behavior of the ions. In a second phase, wear resistance was evaluated using a tribometer with a pin-on-plate configuration, with a counter-body mechanism between the dental sample and a zirconia sphere exposed to artificial saliva. Subsequently, the morphological properties of the surface were observed, using a profilometer and a scanning electron microscope, and the effect on mechanical hardness was measured, using the Vickers hardness test. After being properly verified, the results obtained showed that ascorbic acid had a greater reduction in the hardness of tooth enamel and a greater wear value on the tooth.