Effect of oxalic acid pre-treatment in restorations of non-carious cervical lesions: A randomized clinical trial

Non-carious cervical lesions are usually associated with dentin hypersensitivity. The use of oxalic acid in restorations of these lesions could be beneficial in relieving pain. To evaluate the use of oxalic acid in restorations of non-carious cervical lesions. A randomized clinical trial. One operator placed 90 restorations in 20 volunteers of both sexes, with at least two lesions to be restored with the techniques: Control - Restoration with total-etch technique and Experimental - Restoration with pretreatment with oxalic acid followed by application of adhesive system. The restorative adhesive system used was XP Bond/Durafill. The restorations were directly assessed by two independent examiners using a modified United States Public Health Service (USPHS) method at baseline, 6 and 12 months, taking into account the following criteria: Retention (R), marginal integrity (MI), marginal discoloration (MD), postoperative sensitivity (S), caries (C), and anatomic form (AF). The data were statistically analyzed using the Fisher exact and McNemar tests. The level of significance was set at 5%. After 1 year, the results of restorations clinically satisfactory obtained for the control and experimental group respectively were: R (97% / 89%), MI (100% / 100%), MD (100% / 100%), S (100% / 100%), C (100% / 100%), and AF (100% / 100%). The use of oxalic acid as an agent of dentin pretreatment did not influence the clinical performance of restorations in non-carious cervical lesions after 1 year.