AFM ANALYSIS OF ENAMEL DAMAGE DUE TO ETCHING WITH ORTHOPHOSPHORIC ACID

Bearing in mind that in the field of jaw orthopedics and related scientific fields, there are no scientific studies that use the most modern technology based on the Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) to investigate the nanostructure of tooth enamel after etching with 37% orthophosphoric acid, in this paper we will use this method, which is currently the most reliable, to determine the degree of tooth damage after its etching in the process of fixing orthodontic brackets. Considering the fact that the degree of enamel damage after etching cannot be realistically comprehended by the method called ’network’, because in this way the damage cannot be seen three dimensionally (the depth of the damage), but only the damage in a single plane, a more precise analysis can be obtained with the application of the most contemporary method that we can apply in this case, and that is the application of AFM technology.