The effects of etching enamel with acid on human dental pulp. A preliminary study.

Enamel acid-etching has become a widespread, popular clinical procedure in recent years. Numerous studies have investigated the nature of the acid-treated enamel. However, little or no information is presently available pertaining to the effects of acid treatment upon dental pulp tissue. A limited investigation was carried out on bilateral orthodontic extraction cases to determine the effects of enamel acid-etching upon healthy dental pulp. In each of five cases one premolar served as the experimental tooth, while the contralateral premolar served as the control. After a 24-hour postoperative interval there appeared to be no basic histologic difference between the experimental and control groups.