Femtosecond laser dentistry for precise and efficient cavity preparation in teeth
Ludovic Rapp, Steve Madden, Julia Brand, Laurence J. Walsh, Heiko Spallek, Omar Zuaiter, Alaa Habeb, Timothy R. Hirst, Andrei V. Rode
Abstract
High fluence focused femtosecond laser pulses were used to perform fast, high precision and minimally damaging cavity cutting of teeth at room temperature without using any irrigation or cooling system. The optimal ablation rates were established for both enamel and dentin, and the surfaces were assessed with optical and scanning electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy and optical profilometry. No chemical change in the composition of enamel and dentin was observed. We explored temperature variations inside the dental pulp during the laser procedure and showed the maximum increase was 5.5°C, within the acceptable limit of temperature increase during conventional dental treatments.