Proceedings of the International Conference on Chemical Engineering 2014 ICChE2014, 29-30 December, Dhaka, Bangladesh * Corresponding Author: Mohidus Samad Khan, E-mail: mohid@buet.ac.bd CHARACTERIZING DENTAL EROSION POTENTIAL OF BEVERAGES AND BOTTLED DRINKING WATER IN BANGLADESH Fatima Enam 1 , Mehnaz Mursalat 1 , Upoma Guha 2 , Nirupam Aich 3 , Muzahidul Islam Anik 1 , Mohidus Samad Khan 1* 1 Department of Chemical Engineering, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), Dhaka-1000, Bangladesh. 2 Department of Operative Dentistry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599. USA 3 Department of Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712. USA. Dental erosion, caused by prolonged direct contact between tooth surfaces and acidic substances, is a predominant condition that occurs worldwide. Dental erosion is the dissolution of minerals from the tooth surface as a result of exposure to nonbacterial acids. Hydrogen ions (H + ) from acidic solutions can replace the calcium ions (Ca 2+ ) of the enamel, consequently breaking the crystal structure of the enamel and initiating dental erosion. Erosive tooth wear can lead to severe impairment of esthetics along with loss of hardness and functionality. Acidic challenges responsible for dissolution of dental enamel and root dentin can be intrinsic (i.e. gastroesophaegal reflux disease) and extrinsic (i.e. exposure from acidic foods and beverages). Beverages such as soft drinks, energy drinks and fruit juices, and also bottled drinking water have often been linked to dental erosion. pH, titratable acidity, ionic strength, and mineral contents (calcium and phosphate concentration), are considered as the critical parameters for estimating the dental erosion potential of beverages and drinking water. Especially, continuous intake of drinks or food with pH lower than the critical erosive pH of enamel (5.2~5.5) and root dentin (~6.7) are considered to be majorly responsible for dental erosion, however, other parameters will contribute too. In Bangladesh, there is limited scientific information available to assess the potential of dental erosion of the commercially available beverages and drinking water. This article aims to characterize the dental erosion potential of beverages and bottled drinking water available in Bangladesh market. The experimental results indicate that all soft drinks, energy drinks, and juices have high erosive potential, while bottled water samples are potentially non- erosive. These results will be helpful in determining oral health hazard associated with habits of dietary drinks among population of Bangladesh. This study results will be useful for the health professionals, regulatory authorities, and government policy makers for quality control of the available beverages and bottled drinking water available in the local market. Finally, creating awareness among mass population regarding such health hazard potential of common dietary drinks can help remediate a recurring public health issue. 1. INTRODUCTION Dental erosion, acidic dissolution of enamel and dentin – major components of dental hard tissue, has progressively become a major concern for detrimental dental health (Lussi 2006, Lussi, Schaffner et al. 2007). Erosion refers to the dissolution of tooth structure under continuous exposure to low pH, while not being associated with bacterial infection (Imfeld 1996). Replacement of minerals, primarily calcium from enamel or hydroxyapatite Ca 5 (PO4) 3 (OH) (s) , can induce degradation of teeth structure and upon long-term exposure can lead to severe deleterious impacts on dental aesthetics and functionality such as loss of strength (Lussi 2006). Etiological studies report two major classifications of the causes of the dental erosion – intrinsically by the gastroesophaegal reflux disease and extrinsically due to the exposure towards the acidic food and beverages (Zero 1996, Jensdottir, Arnadottir et al. 2004, DDS 2011). Soft drinks, beverages, and juices commonly consumed by the people of Bangladesh have low pH, and might be related to dental erosion issues. Dental erosion potential from regular diet can be appreciated from the pH and titratable acidity (TA)