Clinical comparison between the use of Opalustre and Ultra-Etch in fluorosis treatments

Abstract

Dental fluorosis is an enamel alteration caused by excessive exposure to fluoride during tooth development. Enamel microabrasion, a minimally invasive chemical-mechanical treatment, is recommended as a first-line approach. This study clinically compared two microabrasion products, Opalustre and Ultra-Etch, to evaluate their effectiveness in removing fluorosis stains through two case reports. Opalustre, which contains 6.6 % hydrochloric acid and silicon carbide microparticles, was applied to a patient with moderate fluorosis, achieving complete removal of brown stains and showing an improvement ratio of 3:3. Conversely, Ultra-Etch, made of 37  % phosphoric acid and pumice, was used on a case of mild fluorosis, achieving an improvement of 1.5:3 in the removal of whitish stains, though it left yellows stains that compromised the patient's dental aesthetics. The results indicate that Opalustre is superior, thanks to its application protocol that allows precise control over the time and amount of dental tissue affected by microabrasion. This study concludes that the proper use of Opalustre can provide aesthetically satisfactory and safe results for patients with moderate fluorosis.