Lasers in dentistry

The lasers that have been considered as possible replacements of the dental drill are Nd:YAG, Ho:YAG, Er:YAG and the excimer lasers. The author presents some of the research he has done with colleagues investigating the use of the Er:YAG laser to cut dental hard tissues. In one report he compares the effects of the CO₂, Nd:YAG and the Er:YAG laser on dental tissues. The laser effects on both vital pulpal tissues and extracted human teeth are shown and compared with results of dental drills. Light and scanning electron microscopy photos are presented. From the observed results, it is apparent that the Er:YAG laser caused the least damage and effects the tooth more like the dental drill than the other lasers tested. Another study shows the results of the Er:YAG on extracted teeth when water was used as a coolant. It appears that some cooling will be necessary when the Er:YAG is used and it was of interest how efficient the laser would be if it had to cut teeth through a pool of water. From the data presented it seems as if water reduces the efficiency of the laser in a minimal way