Er:YAG laser ablation -: Evaluation after two-year long clinical treatment

The aim of the clinical study is to evaluate Er:YAG laser ablation after two year-lon!a clinical treatment. 150 cavities were volunteered for checking. Three restorative materials were used following manufacturer's directions. For the experiment, an Er:YAG laser drilling machine was applied. The laser delivered energy from 100 to 450 mJ, repetition rate from 1 to 4 Hz. The length of the generated pulses was 200 mu sec. During our experiments cooling of the teeth was achieved by fine water mist. The number of pulses was from 16 to 489. Caries of enamel and dentin were treated. Old insufficient fillings were also removed (not amalgam or metal alloys). The experiments followed the guidelines of the Declaration of Helsinki (1964), Tokyo (1975), Venice (1983) and Hong-Kong (1989). Clinical evaluation of fillings after 6, 12, 18 and 24 months based on ADA recommendation was used. Eight criteria were applied for the restoration control. Composite resins and glassionomers could be used as filling materials.