RESUMEN
The quality of the micromechanical retention between the enamel prisms exposed through acid etching and adhesive system can be influenced by the relationship between the angle of the exposed enamel prisms and the external surface/restorative material. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to determine the influence of the enamel cavosurface beveling in different cavity sizes on the angle relation between enamel prisms and the restorative material. For this research, 30 human permanent molars were used and divided into three groups according the isthmus aperture of class I cavities (1/4, 1/3, and 1/2 of the intercuspal distance). Cavosurface angle beveling was performed in each tooth buccal or palatal/lingual side, and a resin composite restoration was placed. Each restored tooth was sectioned in buccal/palatal direction followed by analysis in scanning electron microscope. Means of the angles observed between enamel prisms and the restorative material were registered and statistically analyzed by Kruskal-Wallis test. Results showed higher mean angle values for beveled groups when comparing with the values observed in the unbeveled margins (p < .05) regardless of the isthmus aperture, being 1/4 (beveled = 48.36°; unbeveled = 20.71°), 1/3 (beveled = 39.75°; unbeveled = 29.15°), and 1/2 (beveled = 37.02°; unbeveled = 26.34°). It was also observed that in some unbeveled cavities, there were the presence of laterally exposed enamel prisms (0°), mainly in more conservative cavities. It was concluded that the presence of higher angles values occurred in the samples with beveled margins, without presence of laterally exposed enamel prisms.