In vitro study of temperature changes in root during Er:YAG laser application

The temperature increase in root dentine irradiated by Er:YAG laser beam was analyzed, for different dentine thickness and different energy and frequency conditions, aiming the evaluation of Er:YAG laser in endodontic therapy, without causing any damages to close tissues. Twenty four human teeth were separated in four groups with six teeth each, and longitudinally sectioned in thickness of 0.5 mm (first group), 1,0 mm (second group), 1,5 mm (third group) and 2,0 mm (fourth group). Those samples were irradiated with the Er:YAG laser, emitting at the wavelength of 2.94μm, by using a sapphire optic fiber with diameter of 0.375 mm, and forming an angle of 5 deg with the irradiated dentine surface. Three different laser energies were used in this study, 180 mJ, 160 mJ and 140 mJ, with frequencies of 10 Hz and 15 Hz. The temperature data were collected in a digital-analog system and sent to a computer for analysis. It was verified that the time for temperature increases of 5 deg in the external root walls varies according to the laser energy, repetition rate and dentine root thickness. Thus, in this work we could obtain laser parameters to avoid thermal damages in periodontal tissues. (author)