Erbium:YAG laser application in caries therapy. Evaluation of patient perception and acceptance

Review of possible predictors for pain perception with class 1–5 cavity preparations using Er,Cr:YSGG laser: a retrospective clinical in vivo study

“…Pain perception, however, during different types of laser cavity preparations remains unpredictable and is a puzzlement to many dental practitioners. The consensus is that around 80% of cavity preparations can be completed without dental anesthesia, which is greatly encouraging for a positive patient experience [30][31][32]. Our study gives further support to these claims that laser-induced analgesia leads to improved patient comfort, in up to 85% of patients.…”

“…In posterior teeth, pain was most prevalent in class 2, though not to a statistically significant level. A closer look at prevalence of pain, with respect to patient age, found that young adults, age [26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35], are the most likely to experience pain with laser preparations, when using the Er,Cr:YSGG system. This finding mimics the dental anxiety study by Stouthard et al [33], whereby the 26-35-year age group was the most likely to experience high levels of dental anxiety.…”

“…Using higher-power settings (3.75 W vs. 2.5 W) for cavity preparation, the resulting pain response was significantly higher, as indicated by the VAS pain scores (P value = 0.0001). As the patients' age increases, the frequency of those experiencing pain decreases, with the exception of a sudden spike for the cohort aged [26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35], who proved to be the most sensitive to laser cavity preparation; this group was significantly different from all other age groups (P value = 0.0001). Conclusions The Er,Cr:YSGG laser system is an effective method for pain-free cavity preparations for 85% of the general patient population, who do not suffer from dental anxiety.…”

Effect of Pulse Duration of Er: YAG Laser on Dentin Ablation

“…Vaporization of water within the mineral substrate causes a massive volume expansion, and this expansion causes the surrounding material to be exploded away 12) . In light of this phenomenon, the Er: YAG laser system is the most promising laser device for caries treatment [13][14][15][16] and a more comfortable alternative or adjunctive method to conventional mechanical cavity preparation 17) . Nowadays, Er: YAG laser has been used clinically for caries removal and cavity preparations.…”

Effect of Metalloproteinase Inhibitors on the Microtensile Bond Strength of Composite Resin to Er:YAG Laser-Irradiated Dentin

“…Several advantages have been related to the use of laser irradiation in operative dentistry compared to conventional rotary instruments, such as a more conservative cavity design (2), antibacterial activity (3), decrease of enamel solubility (prevention of recurrent caries) (4), and mainly laser use provides more comfort to the patient due to the absence of vibration and a lower pain sensation with consequent decrease for local anesthesia compared to the use of conventional rotary instruments. A limitation of the laser use is the long time required for cavity preparation, generally, twice than with rotary instruments (5).…”