Polishing System Assessment with high and low instruments to determine what type of bur gives a better polished and cause less aggression to the thickness of the tooth enamel when removing the residual resin bracket after treatment

Abstract

The aim of the present study is to evaluate through scanning electron microscopy the thickness of the tooth enamel after polishing the residual resin when the braces are removed and then determining what type of bur causes less damage to the enamel’s surface.

67 superior and inferior human premolars that had been extracted for orthodontic reasons were analyzed and five types of burs were compared: fine-grained diamond bur, thick-grained diamond bur, Arkansas stone, tungsten carbide bur, and fiberglass bur. These burs were used with high and low speed instruments when the polishing protocol was implemented to eliminate residual resin after the orthodontic treatment. Once the samples were obtained, the method of analysis was performed through the scanning electron microscope by incisions in the teeth to evaluate the thickness of the enamel. Through microphotography of the enamel obtained, the type of wear that each bur causes on the surface of the enamel was observed. It was also observed that the burs used in instruments of high speed caused more damage in comparison to the burs used in instruments of low speed. In conclusion, the thick-grained diamond bur is the one that caused the most wear and the bur that caused the least damage is the fiberglass one, with which a better and preserved polished was acquired.