Methods: One hundred Sprague-Dawley rats were divided randomly into 3 experimental groups (flavored milk, carbonated drink and fruit drink) which were further subdivided into 3 subgroups; 10 rats/subgroup. Rats were offered one of the following drinks ad libitum: chocolate milk, strawberry milk, banana milk, cola carbonated drink, citrus carbonated drink, orange carbonated drink, apple fruit drink, orange fruit drink, and mango fruit drink. In addition, 10 rats were offered distilled water to serve as a control group. By the end of the experiment; rats were scarified and the right mandibles were removed and defleshed. Three hundred molar teeth were available for analysis. Mineral element contents (Na, Mg, P, Ca, Cl, K and Ca/P) of the enamel for all the lower right molars were analyzed using energy-dispersive X-rays (EDX). Data were analyzed using ANOVA and Tukey test.
Results: Among the experimental groups, enamel of the rats that consumed flavored milk contained more Ca, less P and had a higher Ca/P ratio than the rats consumed carbonated drinks and fruit drinks with significant differences. However, within the experimental subgroups, Ca and Ca/P ratio were found to be higher in the enamel of the rats consuming strawberry milk with significant difference to all other subgroups.
Conclusion: Consumption of different sugary drinks might affect and alter the mineral element content of the teeth enamel.