Superficial irregularities and certain intrinsic stains on the dental enamel surfaces can be resolved by enamel microabrasion, however, treatment for such defects need to be confined to the outermost regions of the enamel surface. Dental bleaching and resin-based composite repair are also often useful for certain situations for tooth color corrections. This article presented and discussed the indications and limitations of enamel microabrasion treatment. Three case reports treated by enamel microabrasion were also presented after 11, 20 and 23 years of follow-ups.

This article discusses indications and limitations of enamel microabrasion treatment and indicates that this technique may be a promising alternative to restoring severe stains. SUMMARYThis case report describes the sequential steps that were used to treat unesthetic, white, hardtexture enamel stains of unknown etiology. A tapered fine diamond bur was used to remove superficial enamel followed by the use of an enamel microabrasion compound Opalustre (Ultradent Products Inc). This technique removed the stains and was followed by polishing with a fluoride paste to restore the enamel to a smooth finish. The teeth were subsequently bleached with carbamide peroxide (Opalescence 10%, Ultradent Products), which achieved the patient's desired esthetic results.

This study evaluated the effects of combining enamel microabrasion and dental bleaching on the physical properties of enamel, using in vitro and in situ conditions and evaluating surface roughness, enamel microhardness and scanning electron microscopy images. One hundred sound bovine teeth were sectioned and cut into discs and randomly divided into 10 study groups (n=10). The results were submitted to Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) for repeated measures, followed by the Tukey test, with significance at 5%. Enamel surface roughness was significantly influenced by microabrasion, regardless of being combined with dental bleaching, for both HS (Human Saliva) or AS (Artificial Saliva) condition. Enamel microhardness was significantly decreased in the groups in which enamel microabrasion was performed, regardless its combination with dental bleaching; although storage in HS reestablished the initial enamel microhardness. It was concluded that dental bleaching does not cause major damage to microabraided enamel, and that only human saliva recovered the initial enamel microhardness.

The controlled removal of resin residue from enamel after orthodontic treatment is challenging but can be improved with auxiliary methods for detecting resin residues. This clinical report describes two types of devices that excite fluorescent resins in a more rapid and precise technique to guide the practitioner in the controlled removal of residual resin on teeth.

Pit and fissure sealant is a clinical technique adopted to prevent caries lesion development. Ionomeric and/or resin-based materials are commonly used for this purpose. This article presents a case series of sealed teeth with 22-year follow-up evaluated by clinical, photographic, and microscopic analysis. In 1992, sixteen patients (9-14 years of age) had at least three teeth sealed with one of the following materials: resin-modified glass ionomer cement (RMGIC, Vitrebond or Fuji II LC) or polyacid-modified resin composite (PMRC, VariGlass VLC), totaling 86 sealed permanent teeth. After 22 years, 10 patients were recalled, representing 41 teeth. The retention of sealants was assessed by three methods: clinical analysis by visual inspection; photography; and scanning electron microscope (SEM) images and classified as retained (pits and fissures filled by sealant material); partially retained (pits and fissures partially filled by sealant material); or totally lost (no material was found in pits and fissures). The SEM images provided a higher number of retained sealants when compared with the clinical and photographic evaluations. Also, no totally lost scores were found with SEM analysis, regardless of the sealing material. No caries lesions were found. A fully or partially retained sealant in pits and fissures was capable of preventing caries lesions after 22 years within the patient pool analyzed.