In vivo assessment of the Optipen optical reflectometer for detecting enamel surface changes following an erosive challenge

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate whether the Optipen optical reflectometer can detect enamel surface changes associated with erosion under clinical conditions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this short-term parallel randomized clinical trial, 24 healthy participants were allocated to two groups: Test (T-rinse with a cola beverage for 30 s) and Control (C-rinse with water). Surface reflectance was measured using the Optipen optical reflectometer on the maxillary central incisors at baseline, immediately after rinsing, and after 2 h of salivary exposure, and expressed as the percentage of surface reflection intensity. RESULTS: The test group showed significantly lower reflectance values immediately after the erosive challenge (65.4) compared with the control group (102) (p < 0.05). After 2 h of salivary exposure, no significant differences were observed between groups (T = 85.7 and C = 97.8). CONCLUSIONS: The Optipen optical reflectometer detected immediate changes in enamel surface reflectance in vivo following a single erosive challenge. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: This device may be useful for detecting immediate enamel surface changes following erosion. Further studies are needed to optimize reflectance measurements after salivary exposure.