Depending on how often you see the dentist, you may be familiar with the guilty feeling that overcomes you the moment he or she asks you about your soda drinking habits. Fidgeting in the chair to buy more time you wonder just how much is too much, do they already know the answer, are clear sodas better than darker (no), and you eventually confess that you never consume more than 12 oz per week and you would never dream of supersizing it. It turns out, however, the dentist should not just be concerned with the quantities of Coke, but also Gatorade, Red Bull, and fruit juices, or anything with a low pH. According to a study published in Nutritional Research, John Warren et al reported on the effects of the aforementioned beverages on the erosion of teeth. After soaking molars in various liquids for 25 hours, they found Gatorade (pH = 2.84) produced the most erosion, followed by Red Bull (pH = 2.76), Coke (pH = 2.65), Diet Coke (pH = 2.94), and Apple juice (3.46).
Now the nature of this experiment prevented it from taking place within a mouth, which necessarily eliminates certain conditions that may slow or reverse the decay. Certain factors such as the frequency and duration of drinking, movement and retention of liquids inside the mouth after sipping, and the absence of the saliva buffer would affect these results. That being said, I think we all know we should be consuming more water than sugary/acidic drinks for the betterment of our teeth…but what about chewing on oregano?
According to a very recent study, the first of its kind to look at oregano and black currant leaves as potential preventive dentistry methods, these plant extracts were better than fluoridated mouth rinses at supporting the protective barrier at low pH levels and preventing dental erosion. In order to understand how the compounds within these leaves can be beneficial it is necessary to understand that besides saliva its role in clearing acidic components, there is physiological coating covering all solid surfaces in the mouth: the pellicle. A mixture of proline-rich proteins, histatins, amylase, lysozyme, and lactoferrin as well as glycoproteins, the pellicle layer ultimately seems to serve as an antibacterial aid, lubricant, and a protective barrier. Oregano, abundant with monoterpenoids and monoterpenes, carvacrols, in combination with other polyphenols, tannins, anthocyanins, chlorogenic acid, protocatechuic acid, neochlorogenic acid, in addition to kaempferol derivates, quercetin glucosides, rosmarinic acid and luteolin derivatives, and black currant leaves, containing flavonoids (primarily camphor oil, quercetin as well as myrecetin and isorhamnetin), proanthocyanidins (catechin, epicatechin), lignoids (chicanine, ribesins named after the plant), anthocyanins (delphinidin, cyanidin), vitamin C, caffeic acid, chlorogenic acid, protocatechuic acid, triglycerides with linoleic acid and traces of essential oils, collectively known as phenolic acids and flavonoids or “terrifying chemicals” according to Vani Hari of foodbabe.com fame, have been using in folk medicines and remedies for years.
It is suspected that these plant compounds aggregate the salivary proteins, facilitating their adsorption to the enamel surface and therefore strengthening the pellicle against destructive acidic conditions. The exact mechanism is unclear and more tests are ongoing within this lab, nonetheless this is an exciting biological approach to the prevention of dental erosion. Maybe we should anticipate an oregano flavored Gatorade next summer?
Tagged: acidic, chemistry, dental erosion, science, teeth, tooth decay
