Particle abrasion as a pre-bonding dentin surface treatment: A scoping review

This scoping review aims to assess the influence of air abrasion with aluminum oxide and bioactive glass on dentin bond strength.

An electronic search was conducted in three databases (PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Embase), on March 3rd, 2023, with previously identified MeSH Terms. A total of 1023 records were screened. Exclusion criteria include primary teeth, air abrasion of a substrate other than sound dentin, use of particles apart from aluminum oxide or bioactive glass, and studies in which bond strength was not assessed.

Out of the 1023 records, title and abstract screening resulted in the exclusion of 895 and 67 studies, respectively, while full-text analysis excluded another 25 articles. In addition, 5 records were not included, as full texts could not be obtained after requesting the authors. Two cross-references were added. Thus, 33 studies were included in this review. It is important to emphasize the absence of standardization of air abrasion parameters. According to 63.6% of the studies, air abrasion does not influence dentin bond strength. Moreover, 30.3% suggest improving bonding performance, and 6.1% advocate a decrease.

Air abrasion with aluminum oxide does not enhance or impair dentin bond strength. The available data on bioactive glass are limited, which hinders conclusive insights.

Dentin air abrasion is a widely applied technique nowadays, with numerous clinical applications. Despite the widespread adoption of this procedure, its potential impact on bonding performance requires a thorough analysis of the existing literature.