Noncontact Er:YAG Laser Ablation: Clinical Evaluation

Abstract

In comparison with the classical treatment, it could be said that the retention and quality of filling materials is the same or very similar.

Use of new minimum intervention dentistry technologies in caries management

“…[57][58][59] Whether caries removal with lasers is as efficient as using a regular drill is up for discussion 60 but using lasers for instance in paediatric dentistry is widely considered as advantageous. 61 The ability of hard tissue lasers to reduce or eliminate vibrations, the audible whine of drills, microfractures, and some of the discomfort that many patients fear and commonly associate with high-speed handpieces has been described as impressive.…”

Effect of Pulse Duration of Er: YAG Laser on Dentin Ablation

“…Vaporization of water within the mineral substrate causes a massive volume expansion, and this expansion causes the surrounding material to be exploded away 12) . In light of this phenomenon, the Er: YAG laser system is the most promising laser device for caries treatment [13][14][15][16] and a more comfortable alternative or adjunctive method to conventional mechanical cavity preparation 17) . Nowadays, Er: YAG laser has been used clinically for caries removal and cavity preparations.…”

“…Pulse duration is one essential physical parameter of laser light that determines its interaction with matter 18) . The pulse duration of most Er: YAG lasers on the market is fixed from 150 to 250 μsec, and the majority of published experiments have been performed with fixed pulse durations in that range [13][14][15][16][17]19) . Few researchers have examined the influence of varied pulse durations on dentin ablation with Er: YAG laser 20,21) .…”

“…Indeed, the present study was the first attempt that investigated the effect of pulse duration in detail with a suitable energy fluence for dentin ablation. To date, some in vivo/in vitro articles have reported on the output energy which was suitable for dentin preparation with varying diameter tips 16,17,19) . Dostalova et al 16) indicated that the optimal energy for dentin preparation was 200 mJ/pulse with a spot size of 0.30-0.35 mm, while Keller et al 17) selected between 150 and 300 mJ/pulse with a 0.7-mm diameter tip for dentin ablation.…”

“…To date, some in vivo/in vitro articles have reported on the output energy which was suitable for dentin preparation with varying diameter tips 16,17,19) . Dostalova et al 16) indicated that the optimal energy for dentin preparation was 200 mJ/pulse with a spot size of 0.30-0.35 mm, while Keller et al 17) selected between 150 and 300 mJ/pulse with a 0.7-mm diameter tip for dentin ablation. Shigetani et al 19) evaluated the volume of ablated dentin cavities by Er: YAG laser irradiation with various energy fluences and concluded that the appropriate laser energy was 100 mJ/pulse using a 0.4-mm or 0.6-mm diameter tip.…”