Improving esthetically objectionable human enamel fluorosis with a simple microabrasion technique

Eur J Oral Sci. 2006 May:114 Suppl 1:123-6; discussion 127-9, 380. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0722.2006.00317.x.

Abstract

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.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Child
  • Dental Enamel / pathology*
  • Enamel Microabrasion / instrumentation
  • Enamel Microabrasion / methods*
  • Esthetics, Dental*
  • Female
  • Fluorosis, Dental / classification
  • Fluorosis, Dental / pathology
  • Fluorosis, Dental / therapy*
  • Humans
  • Image Processing, Computer-Assisted
  • Male
  • Photography, Dental
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Single-Blind Method