Deproteinization of primary enamel with sodium hypochlorite before phosphoric acid etching

The aim of this study was to evaluate the deproteinization of primary enamel by analyzing etching pattern types, with and without the application of 5% NaOCl before acid etching with 37% H3PO4. Fifteen extracted human primary molars were randomly selected for the present in vitro study; 1mm x 1mm blocks were prepared and divided into two groups (n = 21). These groups were treated as follows: Group A- Acid Etching with 37% H3PO4 gel for 15 s; Group B- 5% NaOCl for 60 s + Acid Etching with 37% H3POfor 15 s. The specimens were prepared for scanning electron microscopy analysis. The images were evaluated for quality types I and II etching of the enamel surface using ImageJ software. Datasets were checked for normality by Kolgomorv-Smirnov test and the nonparametric unpaired Mann-Whitney test was applied. The mean surface area of type I and II etching pattern values was 1922.314 µm2for Group A and 3840.473 µm2Group B. We conclude that deproteinization with 5% NaOCl prior to acid etching can be used to increase the area of adhesion and the quality of the etching pattern.