Abstract
Nd:YAG laser with a wavelength of 1064 nm has been used for various applications in dentistry, including for soft tissue and hard tissue applications. This study aimed to investigate the changes in morphological structures and elemental composition of enamel surface after composite removal using energy variations of Nd:YAG laser. 12 healthy human premolar teeth were cut into half, and Blūgloo adhesives were applied to the tooth surface. The samples were subjected to Nd:YAG laser irradiations with three different energy parameters, 510 mJ, 540 mJ, and 580 mJ. The changes in enamel surface morphology and composition of elements were analyzed using Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) and Energy Dispersive X-Ray (EDX). Surface morphology indicates that 540 mJ can potentially be used for composite adhesives removal. For the elemental composition, carbon, phosphorus, and calcium were statistically significant between samples without composite, after bracket debonding, and after laser irradiation. Several morphological changes may occur on the enamel surface after samples were irradiated with a laser. Energy parameter of the laser plays a vital role towards the desired surface. In this study, 540 mJ is seen to be potential for material removal process on the enamel surface.
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