Comparison between Er:YAG Laser and Conventional Technique for Root Caries Treatment in vitro

Abstract

Effective ablation of dental hard tissues by means of the erbium-doped:yttrium-aluminum garnet (Er:YAG) laser has been reported recently, and its application to caries removal and cavity preparation has been expected. However, few studies have investigated the capability of the Er:YAG laser to treat caries. In the present study, the effectiveness of caries removal by using an Er:YAG laser in vitro was compared with that of conventional mechanical treatment. Thirty-one extracted human teeth with root caries were used. Half of the caries in each tooth was treated with the Er:YAG laser, and the other was removed with a conventional bur or was left untreated as a control. Laser treatment was performed by means of a combination of contact and non-contact irradiation modes with cooling water spray, with a new fiber delivery and contact probe system. Conventional bur treatment was conducted by means of a low-speed micromotor. Measurements of the time required for caries removal, histopathological observations of decalcified serial sections, scanning electron microscope (SEM) observations, and hardness measurements of the treated cavity-floor dentin were performed for each treatment. Due to the careful irradiation technique, a longer treatment time was required for the complete removal of carious dentin by the Er:YAG laser. However, the Er:YAG laser ablated carious dentin effectively with minimal thermal damage to the surrounding intact dentin, and removed infected and softened carious dentin to the same degree as the bur treatment. In addition, a lower degree of vibration was noted with the Er:YAG laser treatment. The SEM examination revealed characteristic micro-irregularities of the lased dentin surface. Our results show that the Er:YAG laser system is promising as a new technical modality for caries treatment.

Effect of different root caries treatments on the sealing ability of conventional glass ionomer cement restorations

“…SEM images showed the presence of demineralized tissue under restorations, being probably the affected dentin. These findings agree with those of Aoki et al [34] and GeraldoMartins and Marques [7], who reported that erbium lasers did not remove all carious tissue, the residual carious tissue being noted only at the microscopic level [7,34]. G1-G5).…”

Effect of acid etching and different Er:YAG laser procedures on microleakage of three different fissure sealants in primary teeth after aging

“…Laser systems have some important advantages for traditional approaches of dental treatment for children. Namely, they may require less anesthetic, allow for painless treatment, and decreased of dental fears and anxiety 12,13) . Some studies have demonstrated that the microroughened appearance of the surface morphology after laser irradiation on permanent enamel has indicated similarities to those obtained with conventional acid etching 14,15) .…”

Analysis of Er:YAG Lased Dentin Using Attenuated Total Reflectance Fourier Transform Infrared and X-ray Diffraction Techniques

“…These effects are a result of excess heat production during laser treatment [1][2][3] . Erbium-doped: yttrium-aluminum-garnet (Er:YAG) laser -with a wavelength of 2.94 μm -can remove dental caries together with sound enamel and dentin 4) .…”