Salivary pH after taking coffee with and without sugar.

BACKGROUND

Caries weakens and destroys the hard structures of the tooth, affecting up to 90% of the population and which manifests itself very early. The aim of this study was to evaluate the pH variation by taking coffee and coffee with or without sugar having performed or not the usual home oral hygiene.

METHODS

Fourteen adult volunteers in good oral health and no history of any type of systemic disease, with PSR2 and DMFT = 0. The oral pH was measured for a total duration of 40 minutes with the aid of a pH Day2® pH meter. In all, 56 surveys were carried out on the 14 volunteers. Five minutes after the base pH procedure, the subject was given an espresso (Nescafè Dolce Gusto, Espresso Intenso, Nestlè, S.A Vevey), with or without sucrose, and the pH measurements continued for another 35 minutes; at the end of which the instrument was turned off, and the instrument data was downloaded to the PC. The volunteers were asked to suspend their routine oral hygiene from the evening before both for the administration of coffee without sucrose and for the administration of coffee with sucrose. In the other two surveys, they were asked to carry out their routine oral hygiene in the case coffee with sugar or without sugar.

RESULTS

In all the subjects there was a clear reduction in salivary pH about four minutes after finishing the coffee. Subsequently, in those who had taken coffee without sucrose there was an immediate rise in salivary pH; on the other hand, those who had taken coffee with sugar.

CONCLUSIONS

This study shows that in order to maintain a basic pH of the oral cavity it is advisable to drink coffee without sugar, and carrying out proper oral hygiene correctly.