Background: Enamel white spot lesions represent the earliest clinically detectable stage of dental caries and may be reversed through appropriate remineralization therapies. Wh-ile fluoride-containing toothpastes are widely used for enamel remineralization, limited evidence is available regarding the effects of nano-silver-containing toothpastes on ena-mel surface properties. This study aimed to compare the effects of nano-silver and fluori-de toothpastes on the microhardness and surface roughness of enamel white spot lesions.
Purpose: This study aimed to compare the effects of nano-silver and fluoride on the microhardness and surface roughness of enamel white lesions.
Materials and Method: An in vitro experimental study was conducted on freshly extracted, healthy permanent teeth, which were sectioned using metal discs to produce enamel samples. A total of 24 enamel samples were evaluated for initial microhardness (the Vickers tester) and surface roughness (the Profilometer). Subsequently, the samples were exposed to an acidified hydroxyethyl cellulose system for 96 hours to induce enamel white lesions. The microhardness and surface roughness of the lesions were assessed again. The samples were then randomly divided into two groups: Group I was treated with fluoride toothpaste, while Group II was treated with nano-silver toothpaste. Each pair of groups was analyzed by using repeated measures ANOVA.
Results: There were significant differences between the three measurement stages (p V-alue <0.001) in each group. In the Test of Between-Subjects Effects, the changes across all stages were similar between the two groups (p= 0.701). In both groups, microhardne-ss and surface roughness increased after demineralization but decreased post-treatment in both groups.
Conclusion: Within the limitations of this in vitro study, nano-silver toothpaste demonstrated a remineralization potential comparable to that of conventional fluoride toothpaste. Both interventions improved enamel microhardness and reduced surface roughness following demineralization, suggesting that nano-silver toothpaste may serve as a potential alternative for the management of enamel white spot lesions.