Abstract
This study was aimed to examine the effects of intensity and frequency on the cutting efficiency of the Er,Cr:YSGG laser in the enamel and dentin. The percentage of air/water in spray during laser irradiation was fixed at 85%/75% for the enamel and dentin surfaces. Nine points on flattened surfaces of the enamel and dentin were irradiated with the Er,Cr:YSGG laser for approximately 1 s using various intensities (3.0, 4.0, and 5.0 W for enamel, 2.0, 2.5, and 3.0 for dentin) and frequencies (20, 30, and 40 Hz) (n = 10). A high-speed video microscope was used to record each laser irradiation on the tooth surface. A slow video image was used to count the number of water micro-explosions yielded on the tooth surface during the laser irradiation. A surface roughness tester was used to measure the depth of the tiny dimple developed by the laser irradiation on each specimen. The value of each dimple depth was divided by the number of water micro-explosions (pulse). This allowed for the calculation of the cutting depth per pulse. Data were statistically analyzed with two-way analysis of variance. Following laser irradiation, several representative specimens were observed using a scanning electron microscope. Significant effects of both intensity and frequency of the laser irradiation on the cutting depths of the enamel and dentin surfaces were observed (p < 0.05). The values of the cutting depths per pulse in the high-intensity groups were significantly larger than those in the low-intensity groups for both enamel and dentin (p < 0.05). The value of the cutting depth per pulse at high frequency was significantly smaller than that at low frequency for both enamel and dentin (p < 0.05). Both intensity and frequency of the laser had significant effects on the cutting of the enamel and dentin; the cutting efficiency was increased when the intensity increased and the frequency decreased.
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