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Effects of enamel microabrasion techniques: scanning electron microscopy study

Procedures aiming at removing stains form teeth have been widely pursued. Among these procedures are the techniques of enamel microbrasion, which can produce more favorable esthetic results. The aim of this study was to compare the results obtained clinically with application of different microabrasion techniques on white spot lesions, and also to evaluate enamel roughness in treated and untreated specimens using scanning electron microscopy. Patients with white spot lesions without cavitation were selected. On the first patient a mechanically applied clinical procedure was performed, while on the second one the clinical procedure was performed manually, and impressions were taken at different steps of the procedure in order to obtain samples to be examined under the scanning electron microscope. From the obtained results, it could conclude that the microabrasion techniques carried out with phosphoric acid and pumice flour, either with rotatory instruments or applied manually with a wood wegde, presented clinically satisfactory results. Under the scanning electron microscope, restoring of the superficial smoothness of treated enamel could be observed.

Microabrasion; Dental enamel; White spots


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