Objective: The aim of this study was to determine whether an experimental blackcurrant juice drink with added calcium was less erosive to enamel both in vitro and in situ compared with a proprietary orange juice product.
Methods: The study was a single centre, blind, randomised, placebo controlled three cell crossover design. An intra oral appliance capable of retaining one enamel sample in situ was constructed and worn by 12 volunteers. The drinks under test were orange juice, the experimental blackcurrant juice drink with calcium and water. Drinks were consumed as 250 ml volumes four times during the working day under supervision for 15 days. The same methodology was modelled in vitro. Measurements of enamel loss were made by profilometry.
Results: Water, the experimental blackcurrant juice drink and orange juice produced 0.19, 0.41 and 2.54 microns loss of enamel respectively in situ and 0.0, 5.2 and 22.18 microns loss of enamel respectively in vitro. All differences between pairs of drinks in situ and in vitro were statistically significant.
Conclusions: Data using this model in situ were only available for orange juice and this was therefore considered as a positive control with water a placebo control. The results have demonstrated that the experimental blackcurrant juice drink with calcium is markedly less erosive than orange juice, particularly and importantly in situ. The experimental blackcurrant juice drink has limited erosive potential to teeth and deserves further comparative investigation and development as a low pH fruit drink for public consumption.