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Enamel deproteinization and its effect on acid etching: an in vitro study.
Roberto Espinosa1, Roberto Valencia, Mario Uribe
1Department of Oral Rehabilitation, Health Science and Environmental Centre, Universidad de Guadalajara.
The Journal of Clinical Pediatric Dentistry
|December 20, 2008
Summary
Deproteinizing enamel with sodium hypochlorite before phosphoric acid etching significantly enhances the conditioned surface area and etching pattern quality. This improved enamel conditioning is crucial for dental adhesion.
Area of Science:
- Dental Materials Science
- Surface Chemistry
- Biomaterials Engineering
Background:
- Enamel surface preparation is critical for effective dental restorations.
- Phosphoric acid etching is a standard method for creating microporosities in enamel.
- The presence of organic material on enamel can interfere with acid etching efficacy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the topographical features of enamel after deproteinization and etching with phosphoric acid versus phosphoric acid etching alone.
- To evaluate the impact of sodium hypochlorite pre-treatment on phosphoric acid etching of enamel.
- To quantify the surface area and etching pattern quality achieved by different treatment protocols.
Main Methods:
- Extracted molars were sectioned and treated with different protocols: phosphoric acid alone (Group A), sodium hypochlorite followed by phosphoric acid (Groups AH1 and AH2).
- Treatments involved varying durations of sodium hypochlorite (5.25%) exposure (30 and 60 seconds) followed by a standardized phosphoric acid (37%) etch (15 seconds).
- Surface area coverage and etching pattern types (1 and 2) were analyzed and compared statistically (P < 0.05).
Main Results:
- The 60-second sodium hypochlorite pre-treatment (Group AH2) resulted in the largest conditioned surface area (94.47%), followed by the 30-second pre-treatment (Group AH1) (74.1%).
- Group A, treated with phosphoric acid alone, showed significantly less conditioned surface area (48.83%).
- All groups exhibited Type 1 and Type 2 etching patterns, with Groups AH1 and AH2 showing superior patterns compared to Group A.
Conclusions:
- Pre-treating enamel with sodium hypochlorite enhances the surface area available for conditioning.
- A 1-minute deproteinization with sodium hypochlorite followed by phosphoric acid etching significantly improves enamel surface preparation.
- This enhanced enamel conditioning is vital for optimizing the bond strength and longevity of dental restorations.
