Comparative evaluation of the efficiency of adhesive remnant removal and enamel surface topography using tungsten carbide bur and fibre glass bur – a scanning electron microscopic study

Introduction- Debonding of brackets following orthodontic treatment, often leaves adhesive remnant on the enamel surface even after cleaning, polishing with rotary instruments. Aim -This study compares the efficiency of adhesive removal using traditional tungsten carbide bur and stainbuster fibre glass bur. Materials and Methods- 36 premolar teeth extracted as part of orthodontic treatment from patients following debonding of brackets were selected and Adhesive Remnant Index (ARI) was measured. Based on score 1 of ARI, debonded premolars were selected.This study compares the efficiency of adhesive removal using traditional tungsten carbide bur and stainbuster fibre glass bur. The removal of adhesive remaining on the enamel surface located on right and left quadrants were done in a mesio-distal direction with tungsten carbide bur and stainbuster fibre glass bur for 20 seconds. The premolars were extracted without damaging the enamel surface. The enamel damage was analyzed based upon EDI scores under a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) at magnification of x500. Statistical Analysis and Results- The statistical test employed in the present research is chi2 test. Score 1 surface was observed in most tooth samples with stain buster fibre glass group and EDI score 4 was observed in most tooth samples with tungsten carbide group. There is significant difference between the two burs (p < 0.001) as well as between four quadrants (p< 0.001). Conclusions- Stainbuster fibre glass bur was less damaging to enamel surface, removed adhesive resin remnant more efficiently and created a smoother enamel surface compared to tungsten carbide bur.