Enamel microabrasion: An overview of clinical and scientific considerations

Table 1 Commercial products used for microabrasion

Material	Manufacturer	Acid	Abrasive	Particle size (mm)
Prema compound	Premier Dental Company (Philadelphia, PA, United States)	10% hydrochloric acid	Silicon carbide/dioxide	30-60
Opalustre	Ultradent Products (South Jordan, UT, United States)	6.6% hydrochloric acid	Silicon carbide	20-160
Pumice	Pumex (Newcastle-under-lyme, Staffordshire, United Kingdom)	-	Pumice	30-50

Table 2 Summary of indications and advantages of the microabrasion technique

Indications	Requirements	Advantages
Stains or defects restricted only to enamel	Shallow alterations just in the enamel surface	Safe and conservative treatment
Dental fluorosis	Use of rubber dam	Minimal loss of enamel
Mineralized white stains	After completion of orthodontic treatment, if necessary	Leaves enamel surface lustrous, shiny and glass-like
Correction of surface irregularities	Supplemented with bleaching, if necessary	Roughness and microhardness alterations easily resolved by saliva
Localized enamel hypoplasia		Reduced bacterial colonization on enamel surface
Polishing of enamel and auxiliary removal of composite resin residues after orthodontic therapy		Lasting and stable esthetic results