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Improving esthetically objectionable human enamel fluorosis with a simple microabrasion technique
Author(s) -
Limeback Hardy,
Vieira Anya P. G. F.,
Lawrence Herenia
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
european journal of oral sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.802
H-Index - 93
eISSN - 1600-0722
pISSN - 0909-8836
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0722.2006.00317.x
Subject(s) - dentistry , enamel paint , dental fluorosis , dental enamel , orthodontics , medicine , chemistry , fluoride , inorganic chemistry
Mild‐to‐moderately severe enamel fluorosis (EF) is an unsightly maturation‐phase dental disorder. Despite extensive epidemiological studies on EF, little is known about individual treatment options. This study was carried out to determine whether a simple microabrasion technique is effective in improving the esthetics of EF . Patients with a variety of severities were treated using a water‐cooled fine diamond polishing bur at high speed to remove the surface enamel layers. Photographs of the affected teeth before and after treatment were shown by computer to a panel of three judges (two lay and one experienced), who rated the appearance of the teeth using a newly developed visual analog scale. The severity of EF was rated randomly and blind for 52 individual teeth (26 before and 26 after treatment). Reteated‐measures analysis of variance was used to analyze the results. The lay judges rated the appearance of the teeth with EF as significantly more objectionable before treatment. All judges found a significant improvement in the severity of EF after treatment. Using a newly developed visual analog scale, our study indicates that EF of an objectionable nature can be significantly improved with a simple microabrasion technique, thus conserving tooth structure and minimizing the cost of treating EF.