Recent in vitro studies have suggested that dilute hydrofluoric acid (HF) solutions (≤0.2%) can reduce tooth erosion. The aim of this study was to examine the irritant/corrosive effect of 0.05%, 0.1%, 0.2% and 1% HF solutions. The models used were 1) Hen's egg test-chorioallantoic membrane (HET-CAM) and 2) a mouse skin test. In the latter test, if the animals showed any distress, euthanasia was performed. With HET-CAM, 0.05% was slightly irritant and 0.2% and 1% HF were strongly irritant. This was mirrored in the mouse skin test. These findings however, were similar to those observed with 'dental adhesive agents'. In the discussion, it was stated that 10% HF is used for etching ceramic dental restorations and 'at such high strength is highly toxic'.
