Effect of remineralizing agent on laser and nonlaser bleached enamel surfaces subjected to erosion: An in vitro study

AIM: Assessment of remineralizing agent’s effect on laser and nonlaser bleached enamel surfaces subjected to erosion. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study, 80 extracted human permanent anteriors were collected and divided into 4 groups with 20 teeth per sample. Enamel specimen of 3 mm × 3 mm were made using polyvinyl chloride rings and acrylic and randomly divided into four groups. Then the specimens were subjected to initial microhardness test using Vicker’s hardness tester (AVK-CO, Mitutoyo, Japan). Two indentations were placed at 100 mm from one another in the center of all the samples. Bleaching with laser and without laser using hydrogen peroxide was performed followed by remineralization in the groups (Groups 1a and 2a) and then were subjected to erosion. The final hardness was measured using the above method used for initial microhardness. RESULTS: Microhardness in the remineralized groups showed least variation. The group in which laser bleaching was performed along with remineralization as compared with nonlaser bleaching group with remineralization showed improvement in microhardness but the data was not statistically significant. A significant difference was noted between the laser and remineralization group when compared with the groups in which no remineralization was done. CONCLUSION: After bleaching the enamel surface is more prone to erosion, so to improve the microhardness of bleached enamel a remineralizing agent should be used. A combination of diode laser bleaching and remineralizing agents leads to improved microhardness of the bleached enamel thus proving this combination to be efficacious.