Effects of erbium laser radiation on the dentin organic matrix

Abstract

The aim of this study was to conduct a review of the literature about the effects of Er:YAG and Er,Cr:YSGG lasers on the dentin organic matrix, and its effect on dentin adhesion. An electronic search was performed on PubMed, SciELO, and Cochrane Library databases. The search was limited to studies from 2000 to 2020. According to the literature, the use of water irrigation is crucial to avoid uncontrolled increase of the dentin temperature. Long pulse durations showed worst results, because energy is transformed into conductive heat, leading to significant alterations of the dentin organic components. Output energy and frequency used, also influenced the dentin characteristics, and a good management of these two parameters is needed to not provoke greater damage on the dentin organic matrix. The effects of erbium laser irradiation on the dentin organic matrix depend on the parameters used, and, consequently, affect the adhesion to dentin. The lack of studies and the heterogeneity between the selected ones were limitations of this review.