ARC Journal of Dental Science Volume 2, Issue 3, 2017, PP 11-13 ISSN No. (Online) 2456-0030 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.20431/2456-0030.0203003 www.arcjournals.org ARC Journal of Dental Science Page | 11 The Effect of Black Coffee and Tea Consumption to Saliva Degree of Acidity in Preventing Tooth Decay Erni Mardiati * , Endah Aryati, Irmanita Wiradona, Bedjo Santoso Poltekkes Kemenkes Semarang, Indonesia 1. INTRODUCTION Dental caries is a disease of the hard tissues of the teeth caused by the activity of a microorganism characterized by the presence of demineralized tissue of hard tooth (Koerniati, 2006). The formation of dental caries is caused by various factors, including the presence of bacteria and lactobacilli Streptococcus mutants. Bacteria are the change of glucose and carbohydrates in the food into acids through fermentation. The acidity of saliva also affects the incidence of dental cavities or caries levels, salivary flow the easier the occurrence of caries (Pratiwi, 2007). The degree of acidity (pH) is one of the important factors that play a role in the prevention of dental caries and tooth demineralization (Imran, 2016). Salivary glands can be stimulated by mechanical means, for example chewing hard food or chewing gum and chemical stimuli such as the taste of sour, sweet, salty, bitter and spicy (Subekti, 2014). This chemical stimulus can be obtained from the consumption of coffee and tea, as coffee and tea have a bitter taste that can stimulate secretion salivary changes. One of the benefits or the benefits of tea to the pH of saliva is the ability to prevent cavities because in tea is found an active fluoride substance to protect teeth from plaque, to prevent the growth of dental caries and to strengthen the tooth (Rossi, 2010). Preliminary studies conducted on Indonesian women community known as Pemberdayaan Kesejahteraan Keluarga (PKK) or (Indonesian Empowerment Family Welfare) in district of Genuk, Semarang, Indonesia, revealed that most women usually consumes black tea in the morning and sometimes also consume black coffee. These women seem to experience the tooth decay. As such, the researchers are interested in analyzing the effect of black coffee and tea consumption on the pH of saliva in mothers consuming these beverages. 2. MATERIALS AND METHODS The method used in the study is a quasi- experiment. The design of this study was pre- Abstract Background: The degree of acidity (pH) is one important factor that plays a role in the prevention of dental caries and tooth demineralization. Being most commonly consumed, black coffee as well as tea have antibacterial effects, so effective as anti-plaque and prevent decreasing pH saliva. The Objective: This study aims to determine the effect before and after consumption of black coffee and black tea in determining the degree of acidity in saliva. Method: The research was a quasi-experimental research with the cross-sectional approach. The design in this study used a pretest and posttest taken 40 respondents. Result: The results showed that the saliva acid level (pH) before the consumption of black coffee and black tea is different. The change in average salivary pH before and after consumption of black coffee was 0.4 and 0.3 for black tea. Conclusion: The conclusion between black coffee and black tea consumption tends to affect the salivary of pH. Based on the results of the study, people are advised to consume black coffee and black tea a maximum of 2 cups in a day.. Keywords: Saliva pH, Black Coffee, Black Tea *Corresponding Author: Erni Mardiati, Politeknik Kesehatan, Kemenkes Semarang, Jl. Tirto Agung Pedalangan, Banyumanik, Indonesia. Email: erni.mardiati28@gmail.com