Scanning electronic microscopic analysis of the local effects of a periodontal scaling gel on selected surfaces.

A laboratory study was conducted to evaluate the effects of a periodontal scaling gel on mineralized tooth surfaces and selected dental restorative materials. SofScale Scaling Gel (Ash/Dentsply) was applied on enamel and dentin surfaces of freshly extracted human teeth. These surfaces were evaluated before and after a gel treatment. The gel was also applied to glass ceramic, amalgam, hybrid composite, feldspathic porcelain, glass ionomer, gold alloy, silver palladium alloy, and non-precious alloy. The contact times with these materials and substances ranged from two minutes to sixteen hours. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was employed to evaluate differences between treated and control surfaces. Intact enamel and dentin surfaces appeared cleaner without obvious morphological changes with gel contact times up to twelve minutes. When treated for sixteen hours, the enamel exhibited an etch pattern characteristic of a surface treated for sixty seconds with 37% phosphoric acid. No morphological changes were observed on the surface of the restorative materials evaluated with contact times up to twelve minutes. Scanning electron microscopy indicates that SofScale Scaling Gel does not alter the morphological structure of restorative materials, intact enamel and dentin with gel contact times up to twelve minutes.