<title>Cutting efficiency of short and very short pulsed Er:YAG lasers at different frequencies on dentine and enamel</title>

Abstract

This study was to determine the weight loss caused by the use of Er:YAG laser on enamel and dentine using short and very short pulses and two frequencies. Researchers have reported that the Er:YAG laser ablates dental hard tissues more effectively and efficiently, with less thermal damage to the tooth, than other hard lasers. In this study, one hundred and twenty molars were cut into crown hemisections, were dried for 1 h at 37 degrees C and then weighed with a precision balance. Group 1: enamel short pulse 10 Hz; group 2: dentine short pulse 10 Hz; group 3: enamel very short pulse 10 Hz; group 4: dentine very short pulse 10 Hz; group 5: enamel short pulse 15 Hz; group 6: dentine short pulse 15 Hz; group 7: enamel very shot pulse 15 Hz; group 8: dentine very short pulse 15 Hz. The results of short and very short pulse were statistically similar regardless of the type of tissue and the frequency used. Concluding, enamel ablation with the Er:YAG laser shows lower efficiency than dentin ablation, very short pulse mode ablates dental tissue with the same efficacy than short pulse mode.© (2001) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.