The Role of Diet in the Aetiology of Dental Erosion

Acids of intrinsic and extrinsic origin are thought to be the main etiologic factors for dental erosion. There is evidence that acidic foodstuffs and beverages play a role in the development of erosion. However, the pH of a dietary substance alone is not predictive of its potential to cause erosion as other factors modify the erosive process. These factors are chemical (pKa values, adhesion and chelating properties, calcium, phosphate and fluoride content), behavioural (eating and drinking habits, life style, excessive consumption of acids) and biological (flow rate, buffering capacity, composition of saliva, pellicle formation, tooth composition, dental and soft tissue anatomy). The interplay between erosion…