Nd:YAG and carbon dioxide lasers are used for a wide variety of soft tissue applications. As clinicians explore hard tissue applications, such as caries removal and surface modifications, questions arise as to the safety of these new procedures. In this study, thermal characteristics of laser application on enamel and dentin were investigated. Infrared thermography was used to evaluate thermal penetration depth, diameter of hot spot, and the extent of thermal perturbation on dentin and enamel surfaces. Scanning electron microscopy was then used to examine the treated surfaces and correlate the results to the thermal measurements. Laser parameters which have previously been reported in applications of Nd:YAG and CO₂ lasers to dentin and enamel were studied. Our results indicate that, in spite of comparable thermal effects, application of the CO₂ laser created unacceptable thermal damage to adjacent tissue.

Date Published: 7 September 1994
PDF: 7 pages
Proc. SPIE 2128, Laser Surgery: Advanced Characterization, Therapeutics, and Systems IV, (7 September 1994); doi: 10.1117/12.184927

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 2128:
Laser Surgery: Advanced Characterization, Therapeutics, and Systems IV
R. Rox Anderson M.D.; R. Rox Anderson M.D., Editor(s)