Objectives: Kombuchas and other tea-based beverages are often perceived as healthy products despite the lack of knowledge on their effects on oral health. This in vitro study determined the erosive potential of commercial kombuchas, and ice teas compared to cola drinks.
Materials and methods: The pH and fluoride content of 7 kombuchas and 18 tea drinks were measured with ion-selective electrodes. Calcium dissolution from hydroxyapatite grains was quantified by atomic absorption spectroscopy after beverage exposure. The effect of beverages on the enamel surface was visualized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Distilled water, and cola drinks were used as negative and positive controls.
Results: The kombuchas exhibited lower pH values (2.82-3.66) than the ice teas (2.94-4.86), but still higher than the cola drinks (2.48-2.54). The fluoride concentration varied between 0.05 and 0.46 ppm and for 7 beverages the concentration was below the detection limit. The calcium release for kombuchas was 198-746 mg/l, for ice teas 16.1-507 mg/l, and for cola drinks 57.7-71.9 mg/l. Twenty-two beverages had a significantly greater calcium release than the cola drinks (p = .009-.014). The surface etching of the enamel was seen in the SEM analysis after beverage exposure.
Conclusions: Tea-based beverages have even higher erosive potential than cola drinks. Kombuchas especially, displayed a considerable erosive potential.
Keywords: Dental erosion; beverages; erosive potential; ice tea; kombucha.