Assessment of erosive potential of various condiments on primary teeth: An in vitro study.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Changes in lifestyle and food habits have led to increased consumption of processed foods by children. These foods contain additives which may affect primary teeth enamel. This study aimed to assess the erosive potential of various condiments on primary teeth enamel. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Freshly extracted sound primary teeth were decoronated and sectioned mesiodistally to give 105 tooth sections. They were coated with acid resistant nail varnish, leaving a 5 mm × 5 mm window, and stored in 0.9% sodium chloride solution. Fifteen enamel specimens served as baseline controls and were assessed for surface roughness, surface hardness, and calcium content. The remaining 90 specimens were allocated to six groups ( n = 15) and subjected to the exposure protocol. Six condiments were evaluated for pH, titratable acidity (TA), and viscosity and used to expose enamel specimens ( n = 15/group) twice daily for 15 days, with storage in artificial saliva between exposures. Following this, samples were reassessed and data were statistically analyzed. RESULTS: All six condiments were acidic, with the lowest mean pH and highest TA observed for imli sauce, while chocolate syrup showed the highest pH and lowest TA. Veg mayonnaise showed the highest viscosity. Significant changes in enamel surface roughness, surface hardness and apparent calcium content were observed following exposure ( P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Exposure to all six condiments demonstrated erosive potential on primary tooth enamel. Frequent consumption may increase the risk of dental erosion in children, particularly in those with altered salivary characteristics or enamel defects.