A comparison of neodymium: Yttrium, aluminum, garnet laser effects between primary and permanent enamel of dissaciated teeth

Abstract

While advances in lasers for soft tissue applications have drastically increased its usage in dentistry, laser use for hard tissue still needs development. This study was conducted to determine the difference between permanent and primary enamel after their exposure to the Nd:YAG laser. Four parameters were studied: Surface topography, acid resistance, surface hardness and caries-like lesion depth creation. Differences between lased primary and permanent teeth were seen in two parameters. Calcium disassociation during acid attack was significantly higher for lased primary enamel (p=0.0126), and lased primary enamel became softer while permanent enamel became harder (p=0.0001). While this study adds to the body of knowledge related to hard tissue laser use, further evaluation and research is needed prior to the routine use of the laser on primary enamel.