The Effect of Acidic Candy on Teeth

Abstract

The trend in the consumption of candy by children has increased since the 1990s in the USA. Unfortunately, this increased consumption of sweets can lead to negative consequences on oral and overall health. This investigation considered the effect of acidity on an enamel analogue consisting of powdered calcium minerals to simulate the effect of acidic candy on teeth. Four concentrations of 5% acetic acid solution were created (0%, 1%, 10%, 100%) and then allowed to associate with a known height of calcium powder in a clear tube for 24 continuous hours. The height of the calcium powder was measured initially and after 24 hours. The differences in height between the samples were analyzed using an ANOVA test which resulted in an F-statistic of 9.8 and a p-value of 0.089 suggesting a statistically insignificant difference between the difference in the heights of the samples. There were a variety of challenges with the experimental design which decrease the level confidence in the results obtained.