Susceptibility and risk factors
Individuals will respond differently to the same risk factors
influencing outcome, while other individuals will subject
themselves to a particular risk factor far more often than
average. When 10 volunteers imbibed 1 l of a soft acidic
drink over a period of 15 days, some volunteers showed
minimal erosion of enamel and others far more erosion
[156]. Identification of the cause of susceptibility is un-
known but likely to be due to salivary buffering and flow
rate [157], pellicle thickness and charge [158], movements
of the soft tissues [159], distribution and time of acidic
liquid in the oral cavity [160], tooth structure [139] and
remineralising potential [161, 162]. Difference in saliva
flow and composition could contribute to the development