Objective To compare the shear bond strength of enamel or dentin conditioned with either Er,Cr:YSGG (erbium, chromium: yttrium–scandium–gallium–garnet) laser or phosphoric acid to composite resin restoration. Material and methods Forty posterior human extracted teeth were used. After mesiodistal sectioning of the teeth crowns, the samples were randomly divided into two groups—in the first group (E), bonding was performed on the enamel after roughening and in the second group (D), the enamel was removed and bonding was performed on the dentin. These groups were further randomly divided into two subgroups according to the type of etching (n = 20 each). In the acid‐etched groups (EA and DA), the surfaces were etched with 37% phosphoric acid. In the laser‐conditioned groups (EL and DL), the surfaces were conditioned with Er,Cr:YSGG laser. Total‐etch adhesive system was used to bond all the 80 specimens resin composite. The composite was vertically light‐cured, and the specimens were subjected to a shear bond strength test. Modes of bond failure were determined with a stereomicroscope. Results The highest shear bond strength was observed for the DA group (16.25 ± 1.10 MPa, p < 0.0001), whereas the lowest was observed for the DL group (8.56 ± 0.67 MPa). The adhesive failure mode was the most frequently observed in all groups. Conclusions The shear bond strength of composite resin bonded to enamel and dentin etched with phosphoric acid was higher than when conditioned with Er,Cr:YSGG laser. Thus, laser conditioning is not recommended.

Objectives The objective was to evaluate the current knowledge, attitude, and perception of adult patients toward SDF and identify related factors. Materials and methods In this cross-sectional study, data were obtained from adult participants of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. A simple random sampling method was used. An electronic questionnaire was designed to collect data regarding participants’ demographics and their knowledge, attitude, and perception toward the use of SDF. Results The majority (86.6%) of the participants were females. Approximately 58% were ≤ 25 years of age. Overall, 77.1% of the participants had college/higher level education, and 34.2% had a monthly income of > 16000 Saudi Riyals (SAR). Approximately 75.8% of them did not suffer from medical conditions, 60.8% had tooth decay, 82.5% brushed their teeth daily, 77.7% flossed regularly, and 63% used fluoridated toothpaste. Dental pain or inflammation was reported by 87.7% of the participants ( P -value < 0.001). A higher proportion of adult patients (47.8%) was strongly satisfied with the speed of treatment, 58.9% were strongly satisfied with advantages, and 24.5% were dissatisfied with disadvantages ( P -value < 0.001). Disagreement (24.0%) toward SDF material use for anterior teeth was statistically high ( P -value < 0.001). Females (64.5%) demonstrated strong satisfaction with the benefits of SDF material ( P -value = 0.004). Participants of male sex (26.0%), education up to high school (33.0%), and income of > 16000 SAR (31.0%) showed statistically strong disagreement ( P -value < 0.05) with use of SDF for anterior teeth. Conclusion The present study demonstrates that SDF is acceptable among Saudi adults for the purpose of arresting dental caries. However, pigmentation of anterior teeth is a major concern, especially in male participants with high socioeconomic status.

Aim: To evaluate and compare the effect of Er.Cr.YSGG Laser in sustained dentinal tubules occlusion with different treatment methods used on exposed dentin surface at different time intervals using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Material and methods: 26 natural posterior teeth were sectioned, prepared and embedded in acrylic resin. Samples were polished to remove the enamel layer and randomly divided into 5 groups: Group A-negative control group (n=4), Group B-Desensitizing toothpaste (Colgate Sensitive Pro-relief, Colgate), Group 3-Desenstizing Paste (MI paste, GC), Group D-Desensitizing varnish (VivaSens®, IvoclarVivadent) , Group E-Er.Cr.YSGG laser (Waterlase®, Biolase Inc.). Each group was treated according to the manufacturer instructions and subjected to aging process. Dentin occluded surfaces were examined using (SEM). Micrographs were taken in three intervals; immediately after treatment, after two weeks, and after one month. Qualitative assessment was done for the micrographs to evaluate the surface characteristics. Results: The immediate SEM micrographs of showed complete obliteration of most of the dentinal tubules in all treatments used. Micrographs taken after two weeks showed sustained occluded dentinal tubules only in the toothpaste group and Er.Cr.YSGG Laser group. Lastly, after one-month the Er.Cr.YSGG Laser group had the only dentinal tubules that remained completely occluded or at least constricted. Conclusion: Er.Cr.YSGG laser showed constant results in occluding dentinal tubules over a period of one month. Clinical significance: Lasers have been found to be effective for long term relief from dentinal hypersensitivity.