SEM Evaluation of Fluoride Pretreatment Effects on Acid-Etching of Caries-Like Enamel Lesions In Vitro

Abstract

Acid-etching of enamel surfaces has been performed routinely to bond adhesive resin materials to sound dental enamel as a caries-preventive measure. The effect of fluoride pretreatment on acid-etching of enamel has been reported to produce inconsistent and unsatisfactory etching patterns. The failure to obtain an adequate etch has been postulated to be due to fluoride precipitation products deposited on the enamel surface. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of fluoride pretreatment on acid-etching of carieslike lesions of human dental enamel.Caries-like lesions of enamel were created in vitro on human molar and premolar teeth. The teeth were divided into two fluoride treatment groups. The specimens were exposed for 4 minutes to either a 2% Sodium Fluoride (NaF) solution or a 10% Stannous Fluoride (SnF2) solution. The specimens were then washed in deionized-distilled water. Each tooth was sectioned into four test regions. This was carried out to compare the effects of various time exposures (0 to 2 minutes) and differing concentrations (10 to 60% w/w) of phosphoric acid (H3PO4) on etching of caries-like lesions. Standard preparation techniques for SEM were performed on the specimens.