Maintaining intraoral pH is important in protecting both hard and soft tissues from acids. When this balance is breached, some detrimental effects can be expected such as demineralisation, tooth erosion and reduced buffering capacity. Telemetric measurements have been previously used for monitoring changes in the intraoral pH in the past but most of the studies included bulky leads in the mouth, limiting optimal measurements outside the laboratory setting.
The aim of the current research was to develop a novel wireless device that transmitted data real-‐time to a smart phone to allow continuous monitoring of changes in the intraoral pH. A number of preliminary in vitro and in vivo (although in one participant) experiments have been carried out to validate the measurements of the wireless device. In vitro experiments included determination of drift over 24 hours and temperature effects to validate the pH probe. In vivo experiments investigated measurements during the daytime and sleep as well as following swallows of acidic drinks.
Among various appliances constructed, the clear-‐retainer type appliance turned out to be of the most time-‐efficient and successful way of enveloping the wireless device. A distinct difference was observed between the pHs of the upper and lower arches. During sleep, there was a great deal of fluctuations of the pH values in the upper arch, while the recordings from the lower arch showed little change. When an acidic drink was introduced, a pronounced drop in pH in the upper arch was obvious with gradual increase to normal level, compared to minimal changes in the lower arch. An excellent cross-‐correlation was demonstrated between the reference pH measurement system and the wireless device.
The development of the wireless device will lead to exciting applications in the future in the areas of erosive tooth wear, gastro-‐esophageal reflux and orthodontics.
