DISCUSSION
caries lesions, demineralization, caries, tooth, TG, orthodontic
DENTAL CARIES, DEMINERALIZATION, CARIES
Although this non-randomized, controlled, split-mouth and single-blind clinical trial followed CONSORT guidelines and was conducted in a orthodontic clinic with a convenience sample, we believe that this clinical issue (caries below orthodontic bands) is a very common and recurrent problem in orthodontic treatment, faced by all orthodontists. The maintenance of enamel’s integrity after orthodontic treatment is one of the orthodontist’s primary goals. However, maintaining oral hygiene is often difficult and may be complicated by the presence of bands and brackets. Thus, the introduction of a product that enhances enamel’s resistance is very important for the orthodontic community. In this regard, the present study sought to determine the microhardness and the fluoride retention and to evaluate the Ti coat over enamel after the application of 4% TiFDental caries typically starts at and below the enamel surface, and are the result of a process in which the crystalline mineral structure of the tooth is demineralized by organic acids.Although there are many methods to determine the demineralization process on human enamel, in this research, the Microhardness measurement is one possible way of gathering information on the degree of demineralization or remineralization.The results obtained in this study for the TG (pretreated with TiFReintsema and ArendsUsually, fluoride concentration is higher on the enamel surface, decreasing slowly toward the enamel-dentin junction, where it increases again.Gu et al.Although orthodontists provide hygiene instructions and dietary counseling, many patients are not able to maintain an adequate level of buccal hygiene, and may develop an ideal environment for the progression of demineralization and dental caries. The presence of caries lesions (from white spots to cavitation) underneath and around the edges of the bands is a common problem faced during orthodontic treatment. With the purpose of minimizing this problem, many agents for bonding and cementing have been produced with fluoride, such as glass ionomer.Although the TiOIn this study, 4% TiFIn CG teeth, it could be observed that some samples exhibited demineralized areas on their buccal surfaces, even though the enamel was in contact with the glass ionomer cement, which releases fluoride. None of the TG teeth showed signs of demineralization, perhaps because of their contact with TiFSeveral authors have described the presence of a Ti-rich coat over human enamel after the application of TiFAccording to the present findings, the presence of a titanium layer could be noted in 100% of the teeth from the TG, reinforcing the idea that, due to titanium’s attraction to the oxygen, TiOAccording to Buyukyilmaz et al.These findings encourage the performance of other studies exploring the clinical use of TiF