The effects of acid etching time on surface mechanical properties of dental hard tissues

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of etching time on the surface properties of dental hard tissues including enamel and dentin. For this purpose, samples were prepared using extracted human teeth and treated with 37% phosphoric acid for various length of time using the set protocol. The effects of etching time on surface roughness were assessed using non-contact surface roughness profilometer and surface hardness was measured using nanoindentation technique. All results were analyzed statistically using SPSS computer software. Within the limitation of this study, it was concluded that etching time influences on the surface properties of dental hard tissues particularly the enamel. Enamel surface properties such as roughness and hardness can be altered remarkable as a matter of few seconds. Prolonged etching time than recommended is likely to increase the surface roughness and decrease surface hardness; compromising the bond strength of adhesive materials in clinical applications.