Analysis of ceramic laminates removal with Er,Cr:YSGG laser by optical coherence tomography

Abstract

Porcelain laminated veneers have been widely used. For wear of hard tissue such as enamel and dentin, the diamond rotary instrument is the most traditional, but the laser has become recently used to remove aesthetic facets. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) used as an optical biopsy, is important for morphological analysis and attenuation coefficient is related to the property of the photons to be scattered by the samples. After approval by the Ethics Committee, the present study investigated the detachment of 30 ceramic E-max fragments cemented in human dental enamel of dimensions 3mm x 3mm x 0.7mm with 3 types of resin cements, RelxY Veneer, Relx U200 and Variolink Veneer. The samples (Enamel + Ceramic Fragment) were randomly distributed in the 3 groups and cemented according to the manufacturer. After that, they were prepared for irradiation with the Er,Cr: YSSG laser under predetermined conditions (3.5 and 3W, 20Hz, 60% water and 40% air flow). OCT analysis was done before and after irradiation. We observed that themorphological changes of the enamel surface showed an increased surface area due to the cement remaining in the enamel.We concluded that the Er, Cr: YSGG laser, when used in the irradiation protocol tested, seems to be a safe tool for the removal of laminates.