Evaluating the erosive potential of electronic cigarettes on bovine enamel

Abstract

Aim: This in vitro study aimed to assess the erosive potential of e-cigarette aerosol on bovine enamel. Methods: Twenty-five bovine enamel specimens were allocated into five groups that were exposed to different e-cigarette aerosols or air control. LM4E smoking machine was employed to puff e-cigarette aerosol of four cycles in four days (60 puffs/day). Changes in hardness (HM, HV) and surface roughness (Ra) were measured to quantify enamel erosion following aerosol exposure. Moreover, qualitative assessments were evaluated using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Results: There was no significant increase in Ra following exposure for all groups (P>0.05). In terms of hardness loss, HM and HV were not impacted by the aerosol exposure in all experimental groups (P>0.05). SEM images revealed no noticeable signs of surface damage in all specimens. Conclusions: These findings indicate that none of the e-cigarette aerosols utilised in this study caused any measurable enamel erosion regardless of its nicotine concentration or flavour. Further research is necessary to explore the long-term erosive damage.