The Effect of ortho-Phosphoric Acid Etching Application on Enamel Surface ATR-FTIR and SEM studies

The acid etching procedure represents a procedure that increases the bond strength between the etched enamel and the composite resin. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of ortho-phosphoric acid 37% on the morphology and composition of the enamel surface. The surfaces of four extracted teeth (two incisors and two premolars) were etched with 37% ortho-phosphoric acid solution for 15 seconds. The teeth were examined by ATR-FTIR spectroscopy and SEM microscopy in order to determine the degree of the enamel demineralization. A major change on teeth composition and morphology has been found. The results are discussed and compared with those of the effects of different concentrations of bleaching agent (carbamide peroxide) on the enamel surface. Etching with 37% ortho-phosphoric acid caused structural and morphological changes to the dental enamel surfaces.