The Increase of Enamel Hardness After Tooth Immersion in a Modified Pempek Sauce.

Introduction: Acidic foods including pempek sauce that belongs to Indonesian traditional cuisine may cause demineralization in the teeth, resulting in a decrease in tooth enamel surface hardness. A modified pempek sauce is required to generate a new formula in order to preventing tooth demineralization. The objective of this study was to investigate the influence of modified pempek sauce added with cucumber and dried shrimp on tooth enamel hardness value. Materials and methods: This study was an experimental laboratory research with a pretest-posttest design. Thirty extracted maxillary premolars were used in the study and then divided into two groups. Group 1 was soaked in original pempek sauce, while group 2 was immersed in a modified pempek sauce by adding cucumber and dried shrimp. The enamel hardness values were measured before and after soaking the teeth in original and modified pempek sauce. The tooth hardness was measured using a Micro Vickers Hardness Tester. The data were analyzed using a Paired t-test and Mann Whitney test to determine the difference of tooth hardness alteration in the two groups. Results: The original pempek sauce significantly reduced the enamel hardness value, otherwise the hardness value was significantly increased after tooth immersion in modified pempek sauce. Meanwhile, It showed that the enamel hardness score in the original group was significantly lower than the one in the modified sauce. Conclusion: Pempek sauce with the addition of cucumber and dried shrimp could increase the tooth enamel hardness value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]