Nd:YAG laser irradiation of darkened dental enamel by means of dentrifice use

Abstract

As the world population is growing older, dental erosion became a real concern on dentistry. Optical Coherence Tomography and X-Ray fluorescence were used to analyze enamel samples covered by black dentifrice as photoabsorber irradiated with NdYAG laser, then submitted to an erosive cycling. Heat injury risk in deeper tissue decreases because of the dentifrice dark pigment, when the most of photons are absorbed in the surface. Sixty Bmm2 blocks of bovine enamel, were randomized into 4 groups: G1- untreated; G2- treated with acidulated phosphate fluoride (APF, [FJ::1.23%, pH::3.3 to 3.9); G3- irradiated with Nd:YAG laser (1064nm, 0.6W, 10Hz- Lares Research®) using a coal paste as photoabsorber; G4- irradiated with Nd:YAG laser (1064nm, 0.6W, 10Hz), using a black dentifrice (Black is White, Curaprox®). All samples were submitted to a 3-day erosive demineralization (Citric acid 1%, pH::3.6, 5min, 2x/day) under agitation, and remineralization cycling (artificial saliva, pH::7, 120minJ. After treatments and pH cycling, the [Ca]/[P] ratio decreased in the laser irradiated groups. The samples were evaluated by OCT before and after treatment and after erosive cycling. OCT measurements found smaller lesion depths in laser irradiated groups than in the other groups and there were statistically significant differences between G3 and G4 groups (p<0.05). Heating promoted by Nd:YAG laser irradiation changed the morphological and crystallographic enamel surface properties and has shown to be a promissory alternative to prevent erosion.