Lased Enamel: Ultrastructural Observations of Pulsed Carbon Dioxide Laser Effects

Abstract

Scanning electron microscopic observations of the pulsed carbon dioxide laser effect on human enamel support microradiographic findings and indicate that this laser is significantly more efficient than the ruby laser within the limits of this investigation. Surface changes which were suggestive of fusion occurred between energy densities of 13 to 50 joules per square centimeter.There may be several potential applications of laser energy to dentistry. Initially, the use of the laser as a replacement for the dental drill was a popular idea,' but because of the high energy densities required this does not seem practical and has not been explored scientifically. Laser application to spectroscopic analysis of the chemical composition of substances related dentally has been attempted2?3 but still seems to be premature. The dental laboratory use of laser energy to solder and weld is in an early stage of development.4 In studying the effect of low laser energy densities, our interest has been ap-

Surgical applications of femtosecond lasers

“…Initial conventional laser ablation studies on teeth using ruby or CO 2 lasers noted significant thermal deposition leading to collateral tooth damage [16,49]. Other lasers, such as Er : YAG, reduce thermal effects considerably but cannot compete with the speed or quality of mechanical drills [50,51].…”

XPS analysis of the dentin irradiated by Er:YAG laser

“…Studies have been performed using different kinds of lasers, including Er:YAG lasers and Nd:YAG lasers 2) , and CO2 lasers 3,4) . Attention has focused on Er: YAG lasers due to their high efficacies in removing dental hard tissue [5][6][7] .…”

Morphological Alterations of the Surfaces of Enamel and Dentin of Deciduous Teeth Irradiated with Nd:YAG, C0(2)and Diode Lasers

“…Several studies have shown the possible applications of different types of lasers in dentistry clinics, as for example, in the inhibition of carious lesions (Stern et al, 1966(Stern et al, , 1972Yamada, 1996), as well as in their removal (White et al, 1993), in the oral mucous (Taylor et al, 1965), and in gum healing (Chomette et al, 1987), among others. The scanning electron microscope has shown the different morphological alterations in the enamel and dentin surfaces irradiated with the CO 2 laser (Takahashi et al, 1998;Watanabe et al, 1986), the diode laser (Wetter, 2002), and the Nd:YAG laser (Lin et al, 2001).…”