Effect of microabrasion on the staining susceptibility of enamel: An in vitro study

Background. Enamel microabrasion can eliminate enamel irregularities and discoloration. This study evaluated the staining susceptibility of enamel after microabrasion using different clinical protocols. Methods. A total of 210 extracted bovine incisors were used in this study. The teeth were randomly divided into five groups of 42 teeth each (n = 42), including group 1: control (no treatment), group 2: microabrasion, group 3: microabrasion + fluoride polishing, group 4: macroabrasion (fine-grit diamond bur) + microabrasion, and group 5: macroabrasion (finegrit diamond bur) + microabrasion + fluoride polishing. The groups were then randomly divided into two subgroups for discoloration procedures: coffee and distilled water (n = 21). A spectrophotometric evaluation was carried out at baseline and on the 1st, 7th, 14th, and 28th days of the staining period. Statistical analyses were performed using repeated-measures ANOVA and the post hoc Bonferroni test at a significance level of 0.05. Results. The greatest color change was observed in group 2 specimens, which were immersed in coffee solutions. The color change values for groups 3, 4, and 5 specimens, which were immersed in distilled water, were higher than those in group 1 specimens (P 0.05). The fluoride polishing + enamel microabrasion treatment groups (groups 3 and 5) exhibited greater resistance to color changes than the matched non-fluoride-polished groups (groups 2 and 4) (P 0.05). Conclusions. The teeth that underwent enamel microabrasion treatment and were polished with fluoride gel became more resistant to color changes. Our findings confirm that enamel microabrasion treatment is a conservative method for localized discoloration.