PROCEEDINGS ARTICLE | February 8, 2017
Proc. SPIE. 10044, Lasers in Dentistry XXIII
KEYWORDS: Thermography, Near infrared, Minerals, Proteins, Laser therapeutics, Tissues, Ultraviolet radiation, Microscopy, Resistance, Reflectivity, Infrared lasers, Laser irradiation, Gas lasers, Er:YAG lasers, Carbon monoxide, Natural surfaces, Polarized microscopy
UV and IR lasers can be used to specifically target protein, water, and the mineral phase of dental hard
tissues to produce varying changes in surface morphology. In this study, we irradiated enamel and dentin
surfaces with various combinations of lasers operating at 0.355, 2.94, and 9.4 μm, exposed those surfaces
to topical fluoride, and subsequently evaluated the influence of these changes on surface morphology and
permeability. Digital microscopy and surface dehydration rate measurements were used to monitor changes
in the samples overtime. The surface morphology and permeability (dehydration rate) varied markedly with
the different laser treatments on enamel. On dentin, fluoride was most effective in reducing the
permeability.