Safety Evaluation of High Speed MAX mode Er:YAG Laser Cavity Preparations

Early erbium and CO2 lasers failed to gain wide acceptance in the dental community because their optical drilling speeds were slower in comparison to the mechanical bur. This has changed in the past few years; much faster ablation speeds are now possible and dental lasers with variable square pulse technology even exceed the drilling speeds of conventional burs. In this paper we report on a clinical study of the safety of the latest Er:YAG lasers, which operate in high speed MAX mode. Pulpal inflammatory response to cavity preparation on erupted caries and restoration-free third molars in need of extraction were analyzed. Teeth were bioprepared and examined for the presence of an inflammatory response. The sensitivity of the patients following cavity preparation was also ranked and compared with the control group. The results show that the variable square pulse Er:YAG lasers operating in high speed MAX mode cause no permanent pulpal damage and can be safely used for fast cavity preparations.