Reflectometry and micromorphology of polished, etched and repolished teeth

Labial enamel surfaces of anterior teeth were polished, etched for thirty seconds with acid and then repolished by manual brushing with three different abrasive pastes for 10, 15, 15, 20, and 20 seconds respectively and finally for a 60-sec brushing with a dental engine. Before etching and following each paste treatment, the light reflection of the surfaces was measured with the scanning tooth surface reflectometer of GABATHULER. The reflectance values were compared with the microscopic tooth surface texture. Reflectometric findings were similar under in vitro and in vivo conditions. There were differences among the pastes in restoring maximum lustre of dull etched enamel, but not in polishing intact tooth surfaces.