Restorative & Materials · patient case question
What is the typical pH of a carbonated soft drink?
Patient case: Wear, erosion and a burning mouth
demo: 31-year-old female
chief: Sensitive front teeth that look increasingly thin, and occasional pain that comes and goes.
history: She drinks four cans of soda daily and has a history she is reluctant to discuss regarding eating patterns. She is otherwise well.
meds: None.
findings: Marked erosion of the lingual surfaces of the maxillary teeth with intact buccal surfaces. Smooth, shiny, saucer-shaped cervical lesions on the buccal aspects of several premolars. Parotid regions appear full bilaterally.
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: A. Approximately 2.5
- A. Correct. Most colas sit around pH 2.4 to 2.6 because of phosphoric and carbonic acid, and many other soft and sports drinks fall between 2.5 and 3.5. Enamel demineralises below about 5.5, so these drinks sit far below the critical pH. It is the frequency and duration of exposure that determines damage, not the volume.
- B. 6.5 is near neutral and would not be erosive.
- C. 4.5 is closer to some fruit juices, which are still erosive but less so than cola.
- D. A pH of 8 is alkaline; no common soft drink is alkaline.
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