The effect of energy drinks on force degradation of elastomeric chains (An in vitro study)

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: This in vitro study aimed to determine how three different energy drink types affected the force decay of three distinct brands of clear, short elastomeric chains over various time intervals. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study, 600 pieces of clear, short elastomeric chains from three brands were examined. The initial force was measured immediately using a digital scale and after 1, 7, 14, 21, and 28 days. These intervals followed immersion in the respective energy drink for 5 minutes twice daily. Using one‑way ANOVA and Tukey’s HSD tests, the percentage of force decay was computed and compared across the different elastic brands, time intervals, and energy drinks. RESULTS: The force degradation of various elastic brands immersed in different energy drinks increased over time, following a similar pattern of decay. By the end of the fourth week, there were highly significant differences in the force decay percentage, varying from 68% to 83%. CONCLUSIONS: Considering the effects of brands, duration, and energy drinks, all the evaluated brands exhibited similar patterns of force decay, with highly significant differences noted. The force decay in Coca‑Cola Energy and Fire ball drinks is relatively higher than in other beverages.