In vitro evaluation of the effects of frequently prescribed pediatric drugs on the microhardness of permanent tooth enamel

Abstract

Background. Dental erosion is considered one of the oral cavity diseases. Frequent intake of liquid oral medications can be an effective factor in tooth erosion. Objectives. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of frequently prescribed pediatric drugs on the permanent dental enamel microhardness over a period of 14 days in vitro. Material and methods. In this study, 11 pediatric drugs with different active ingredients were used; the control group consisted of teeth immersed in distilled water. The immersion cycles were applied 3 times a day for 1 min. The measurements of the samples prepared were taken at 0 (baseline), 7 and 14 days after the immersion cycles using a Vickers hardness testing machine. The pH, titratable acidity (TA) and buffering capacity of the syrups were assessed. Results. The measurements of the tooth samples that were immersed in drug solutions except Deltacortril® showed that there was a significant difference between days 0, 7 and 14. The microhardness values for the tooth samples that were immersed in the Deltacortril drug solution decreased, but no significant difference was found. There were no statistically significant differences between the day 0, 7 and 14 measurements in the control group. Conclusions. Commonly used and prescribed pediatric drugs pose a risk for tooth erosion. Pediatricians should be aware of the effects of prescription drugs on erosion, and stress the need for compliancy with oral hygiene procedures.