In vivo confocal microscopy analysis of enamel defects after orthodontic treatment: A preliminary study

Abstract

After orthodontic treatment with fixed appliances, bonded brackets and residual adhesive must be removed. This procedure should lead to restitutio ad integrum of the enamel or, at least, restore the enamel surface as closely as possible to its pre-treatment conditions. The purpose of this study is the in vivo assessment at a microscopic resolution of enamel surfaces after bracket debonding while avoiding the tooth extraction. Nine orthodontic patients who had brackets removed at the conclusion of orthodontic treatment were enrolled. In vivo reflectance confocal microscopy imaging of dental enamel surface after debonding was performed for each patient. Eighteen upper incisors were analyzed, 10 in which the enamel demineralization appeared after the treatment and 8 in which the demineralization was present before the treatment. RCM analyses showed some speckled or roundish dark areas within the enamel. Moreover enamel alterations were detected at different levels of depth. The present in vivo microscopic study allowed for highlighting structural features in dental enamel, after debonding, at a microscopic resolution in real-time and in a non-invasive way, without the need for extraction or processing of the samples.

Measurement of Oral Epithelial Thickness by Optical Coherence Tomography

“…In vivo, non-invasive imaging techniques such as magnetic resonance imaging [9], confocal laser microscopy [23,24,25] and ultrasound imaging [17] have found widespread applications in medicine. Each of these techniques measures a different physical property and has a resolution and penetration range that prove advantageous for specific applications.…”

A Retrospective Study on Insertion Torque and Implant Stability Quotient (ISQ) as Stability Parameters for Immediate Loading of Implants in Fresh Extraction Sockets

“…This scenario can also be useful, in order to decrease the risk of unwanted fracture, during insertion of a miniscrew for orthodontic applications that need maximum shear bending resistance [26–31].…”

Debonding and Clean-Up in Orthodontics: Evaluation of Different Techniques and Micro-Morphological Aspects of the Enamel Surface

“…The literature reports several methods for investigating the surfaces of enamel [19,[23][24][25][26][27][28]. As a result of the quantitative data provided, atomic force microscopy, environmental SEM, a profilometer, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and in vivo confocal microscopy analysis were used for these studies [29][30][31]. In particular, atomic force microscopy allows the morphological and mechanical properties of dental tissue surfaces with no peculiar treatment to be investigated [32].…”