title: Enamel morphology after microabrasion with experimental compounds.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Enamel microabrasion is an esthetic treatment for removing superficial stains or defects of enamel.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study evaluated the roughness after enamel microabrasion using experimental microabrasive systems.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and ten samples (5 × 5 mm) were obtained from bovine incisors and divided into 11 groups (n = 10) in accordance with the treatment: Microabrasion using 6.6% hydrochloric acid (HCl) or 35% phosphoric acid (H3PO4) associated with aluminum oxide (AlO3) or pumice (Pum) with active application (using rubber cup coupled with a micro-motor of low rotation) or passive application (just placing the mixture on the enamel surface); just the use of acids in a passive application (negative control), and a group without treatment (positive control). Roughness analysis was performed before and after treatments. The statistical analysis used analysis of variance (PROC MIXED), Tukey-Kramer and Dunnet tests (P < 0.05). Representative specimens were evaluated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM).
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no significant difference between the acids used (P = 0.0510) and the applications (P = 0.8989). All of the treated groups were statistically different from the positive control. When using passive application, the use of HCl + AlO3 resulted in higher roughness when compared with HCl + Pum. Additionally, this treatment was statistically different from the passive application of H3PO4 (negative control) (P < 0.05). However, SEM analysis showed that the treatment with AlO3 resulted in an enamel surface with a more polished aspect when compared with Pum.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  AlO3 may be a suitable particle for use in microabrasive systems.
authors.affiliation: Department of Restorative Dentistry, Piracicaba Dental School, State University of Campinas - FOP/Unicamp, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Núbia I P
authors.initials: NI
authors.lastname: Pini
authors.affiliation: Clinical Practice, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rafaela
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.affiliation: Restorative Dentistry, Clinical Practice, São Paulo, Brazil, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Carlos E S
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Bertoldo
authors.affiliation: Department of Restorative Dentistry, Piracicaba Dental School, State University of Campinas - FOP/Unicamp, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Flavio H B
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Aguiar
authors.affiliation: Department of Restorative Dentistry, Piracicaba Dental School, State University of Campinas - FOP/Unicamp, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: José R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Lovadino
authors.affiliation: Department of Restorative Dentistry, Piracicaba Dental School, State University of Campinas - FOP/Unicamp, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Débora Alves Nunes Leite
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Lima
keywords: Enamel; microabrasion; roughness