In vitro examination of different interdental stripping techniques, in terms of surface roughness and mineral loss

The aim of this study is to investigate the surface roughness and mineral loss on enamel surface after application of different interdental stripping techniques. In this study, 90 caries-free, undamaged upper and lower permanent incisors without lesions were used. The roots of these teeth were embedded in plaster blocks, leaving the crowns outside. 5 treatment groups were constructed and each group consisted of 18 teeth. Five different techniques were applied for interdental stripping. In the 1st group, stripping strips (Swiss Dentacare G5-ProLign) were used (group A). In the 2nd group, segmental discs (Komet Dental OS2M 000 140) were used (group B). In the 3rd group, stripping discs (Komet Dental 8934A 900 180) were used (group C). In 4th group, Profin stripping tips (Dentatus Profin Lamineer IPR LTA-P4/2) were used (group D). In the 5th group, metal strips (Sunshine Dental DS 25) were used (Group E). Only one proximal surface was stripped on each tooth. Untreated enamel surfaces were used as the control group. All interproximal surfaces were examined with an Optical Profilometer device for surface roughness and with a SEM/EDX device for mineral loss. Kruskal Wallis H test with Post hoc comparisons and Bonferroni adjustment was used for the comparisons between the groups. According to the Optical Profilometer measurements, statistically significant difference was found between all treatment groups and the control group (p<0,05). The control group demonstrated the lowest values of roughness measurements. Surface roughness increased significantly after stripping. Optical Profilometer investigations showed no statistically significant difference between the 5 treatment groups (p>0,05). According to the SEM/EDX evaluations, the results showed no significant difference between any of the groups (p>0,05). Control group showed the highest values of mineral measurements, but the difference was statistically insignificant. The data obtained from this study showed that, all interdental stripping techniques cause the stripped enamel surfaces to become more porous and convenient for bacterial colonization, but do not cause an important amount of mineral loss.