Comparative study of two chemical protocols for creating white spot lesions: An in vitro FluoreCam evaluation.

AIM

The aim of the present study was to compare the effectiveness and practicality of two commonly-used protocols for white spot lesion creation.

METHODS

Sound posterior human teeth were sectioned into halves and randomly allocated into two groups (n=20). Using the FluoreCam system, the enamel surfaces were imaged under standardized conditions, and baseline data (area, intensity, and impact) were recorded. Specimens were covered with an acid-resistant polish, leaving a 2×6-mm enamel window. Group 1 was immersed in Queiroz solution (64 hours/37°C/pH5 with agitation); Group 2 was immersed in Buskes solution (14 days/37°C/pH5 with agitation). The specimens then were imaged again. Within-group changes that occurred over time were evaluated using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Between-group differences were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney U-test. Polarized light microscopy (PLM) was used to calculate the mean lesion depth of representative specimens.

RESULTS

Each protocol showed significant changes in the surface area, intensity and impact of demineralization over time (P<.05). There were no statistically-significant differences (P=.53, P=.2, P=.74) between the two groups. PLM showed that the mean lesion depths of representative specimens were 51.4 and 73.0 μm for groups 1 and 2, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

While both protocols produce similar amounts of demineralization, the Queiroz solution is more practical, as it requires less time.