The effect of different polishing methods on enamel after interproximal enamel reduction

PURPOSE: The aim of this study is to compare the effect of the enamel demineralization degree after interproximal enamel reduction (IER) on extracted teeth with different polishing methods. METHODS: 20 extracted premolars were chosen as samples. In one premolar,a randomized approximal surface was selected as control surface while the other as experimental surface. After IER,the control surface was physically polished and the experimental surface was chemically polished. All samples were treated under the pH cycling experiment for 60 days. Then the enamel demineralization degree was measured with laser fluorescence diagnostic equipment. The data was analyzed by paired t test using SPSS10.0 software package. Some samples were selected to observe the enamel surface morphology through scanning electron microscope (SEM). RESULTS: The enamel demineralization degree of the control group increased significantly than that of the experimental group(P0.01). SEM images demonstrated that the enamel surface was smoother in the experimental group than the control group. CONCLUSION: Compared with physical polishing,chemical polishing can increase the smooth degree of enamel surface and reduce the risk of enamel demineralization after IER.