In Vitro Evaluation of the Effects of Different Treatment Procedures on Dentine Tubules

Abstract

Objective: The objective of this preliminary study was to evaluate the occluding effect of topical gaseous ozone application and Er:YAG laser on human dentine tubules by scanning electron microscopic (SEM) analysis. Methods: Twenty-four dentine specimens were divided into three groups. Group I, including specimens treated only with citric acid, served as the control. Group II was treated with Er:YAG (30 Hz 60 mJ, 10 sec), and Group III received only topical gaseous ozone application (10 sec at level 2). Diameters and the number of open dentinal tubules per 100 μm² were counted from SEM photomigrophraphs at ×2000 magnification. Results: In terms of diameters and numbers of open dentinal tubules per 100 μm², both treatment modalities presented significant occlusion. The mean values of the diameters and the number of open dentinal tubules per 100 μm² were observed in Group I, Group II, and Group III, in decreasing order. Significant differences were found among the groups in favor of the topical gaseous ozone applied group. Conclusions: The dentine tubules in both treatment groups were occluded, however more marked occlusion were seen in ozone treated group.