Journal of Dental Medicine

Background and Aims: Nowadays lasers are used as alternatives to the tooth preparation because of reducing pain and bloodshed. The aim of this study was to observe the effect of ArF laser on the dental hard tissues.

Materials and Methods: For this research human molar teeth with no caries or dental restoration and enamel cracks were used. Irradiation laser energies were taken 95, 70 and 50 mJ for enamel and 80, 70 and 50 mJ for dentine. Then, for each of energy values pulse numbers (repetition rate) were adjusted at 200, 400, 600, 800, 1000 and 1500. Ablation was carried out without water spray on both enamel and dentine. Finally, the dimensions of ablated areas were measured by using a camera connected to the computer and results were applied in graphs.

Results: For each energy value, the ablation dimension increased by increasing pulse numbers. Ablation depth in dentine was more than that of for enamel. Trends of graphs for dentine and enamel were the same. SEM images of ablations by 95 mJ energy on enamel and 80 mJ energy on dentine showed sharp edges.

Conclusion: Ablation depths increased by increasing pulse numbers, for each energy level. However, this increase was not that as expected, because the lack of water spray while irradiating.