Development and evaluation of a low erosive blackcurrant juice drink 3. Final drink and concentrate, formulae comparisons in situ and overview of theconcept

Objective: Two previous studies demonstrated that a blackcurrant juice drin k with added calcium produced little erosion of enamel in vitro and in situ by comparison with other low pH fruit drinks. The primary aim of this stud y was to demonstrate that the final formulation drink and concentrate were of similar low erosivity. Secondary aims were to provide more data on the e rosivity of other fruit drink concentrates and whether erosion was influenc ed by anterior and posterior palate siting of enamel specimens. Method: The study was a single centre, single blind, randomised placebo con trolled 5 cell crossover design involving 15 volunteers, The test drinks we re blackcurrant juice/calcium concentrate, blackcurrant juice/calcium drink , proprietary apple & blackcurrant juice concentrate, proprietary orange dr ink concentrate and water. Four enamel samples were retained in situ, 2 ant erior palate and 2 mid/posterior palate, on upper removable acrylic applian ces. Drinks were 250 mi volumes consumed 4 times per day during 15 working days. Concentrates were diluted 50 mi in 200 mi water, Measurements of enam el loss were made on one anterior and one posterior sample on days 2, 5, 10 and 15 by profilometry. Results: One subject approached the 20 mu m erosion limit by day 10 on the orange drink and was withdrawn from that cell. Differences in mean erosion between anterior and posterior sites were variable and small. By day 15 the mean losses of enamel averaged over anterior and posterior were blackcurra nt/calcium concentrate 0.28 mu m blackcurrant/calcium drink 0.35 mu m, appl e & blackcurrant concentrate 2.04 pm, orange concentrate 8.29 mu m and wate r 0.08 mu m. Except at day 15 for the blackcurrant/calcium drink the erosio n by the blackcurrant/calcium formulations was not significantly different from water at any time point. Erosion by the apple & blackcurrant and orang e concentrate drinks was highly significantly greater than the blackcurrant /calcium drinks at all but the 2 day time point for the apple & blackcurran t concentrate drink compared to the blackcurrant/calcium drink. Conclusions All data thus far indicate that dependant on tooth site suscept ibility and the specific drink, the consumption of standard low pH fruit dr inks could result in 1 mm loss of enamel in periods ranging from as little as 2 years to 20 years. Similar erosion by the low pH blackcurrant drinks w ith added calcium would rake in excess of 100 years. (C) 1999 Elsevier Scie nce Ltd. All rights reserved.