Acidic Electrolyzed Water Damages Tooth Enamel and Dentin Structure
- Authors
- Ker-Kong Chen, Chau-Hsiang Wang, Chun-Chan Ting, Shin-I Wei, Je-Kang Du
- Journal
- Dental Materials Journal
- Year
- 2016
- DOI
- 10.4012/dmj.2015-328
- Study Type
- Cell Culture
- Outcome
- Neutral
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- Taiwan
- Health Condition
- Dental Erosion
- Body System
- Oral Health
TL;DR
Soaking human tooth material in strongly acidic water makes it softer and rougher over time.
Key Finding
Strongly acidic electrolyzed water significantly softened dentin, increased surface roughness, and reduced mineral content more than neutral electrolyzed water or other solutions tested.
Summary
This laboratory study tested how different types of electrolyzed water (water treated with electricity) affected human tooth dentin (the layer beneath tooth enamel). Researchers soaked dentin samples in strongly acidic electrolyzed water, neutral electrolyzed water, bleach solution, or regular water for up to 60 minutes and measured changes in hardness, surface texture, and mineral content. Strongly acidic electrolyzed water caused the most damage, making the dentin softer, rougher, and lower in minerals compared to other solutions.
Practical Takeaway
This is a laboratory study on extracted teeth, not human consumption research, so it does not directly address the safety of drinking hydrogen water. The study raises concerns about acidic electrolyzed water's effects on tooth structure, but would need to be followed by human studies to determine whether drinking such water poses real dental risks. Anyone considering electrolyzed water products should note that acidity level appears to matter significantly for dental safety.
Abstract (excerpt)
This study investigated the exposed coronal superficial dentin of 28 human molars were immersed in strongly acidic electrolyzed water (AW group), neutral electrolyzed water (NW group), 5% sodium hypochlorite (negative control, NL group), or deionized water (positive control, DW group)…