Comparison between phosphoric acid and hydrochloric acid in microabrasion technique for the treatment of dental fluorosis

PURPOSE: To compare the effectiveness of phosphoric acid (H(3)PO(4))-pumice compound with conventional hydrochloric acid (HCl)-pumice compound in treating different severities of dental fluorosis with the microabrasion technique. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty-seven anterior teeth from seven patients with different severities of dental fluorosis were treated. In each patient, half of the teeth were treated with HCl-pumice compound and the other half with H(3)PO(4)-pumice compound (split-mouth design). Both treatment compounds were applied for 30-second periods and treatment continued up to 10 minutes. Before and after treatment, standardized photographs were taken. The photographs were compared by two experienced observers unaware of the modality of treatment. Two indices of aesthetics, improvement in appearance (IA) and degree of stain removal (DSR), were determined according to a visual analog scale. The inter- and intra-correlation coefficients were made; then, statistical analyses were calculated using Mann-Whitney and t-test. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in interobserver evaluation. Improvements in aesthetic indices were observed in all fluorotic teeth by both compounds; however, the mean treatment time with HCl-pumice was significantly lower than H(3)PO(4)-pumice. CONCLUSION: The H(3)PO(4)-pumice compound improved aesthetic indices in fluorotic teeth similar to the HCl-pumice compound.