Adhesion of composite resins to enamel irradiated by the Er:YAG laser: application of the ultrasonic scaler on irradiated surface.
OBJECTIVE
The clinical use of the Er:YAG laser in cavity preparation has become widespread. With respect to cavities prepared with the Er:YAG laser, restorations using composite resins and glass ionomer cements are common. The bond strength of current resin bonding systems to ground enamel is 14-30 MPa, whereas the strength to Er:YAG laser-irradiated enamel, regardless of the use or non-use of phosphoric acid etching is less than 10 MPa.


METHODS
In this investigation, an ultrasonic scaler was tested as a technique to increase the bond strength of composite resins to the Er:YAG irradiated enamel surface.


RESULTS
The application of the ultrasonic scaler significantly increased bond strength.


CONCLUSIONS
The tensile bond strength in the groups treated with the ultrasonic scaler exhibited approximately twice the strength observed in groups treated with laser irradiation alone.
Eguro
T
T
Department of Operative Dentistry, Nippon Dental University School of Dentistry at Tokyo, Tokyo, 102-8158 Japan.
Maeda
T
T
Tanabe
M
M
Otsuki
M
M
Tanaka
H
H
D003188:Composite Resins; D003743:Dental Enamel / Q000528:radiation effects*; D012534:Dental Scaling / Q000295:instrumentation*; D006801:Humans; D007180:Incisor / Q000528:radiation effects; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D013718:Tensile Strength; D014465:Ultrasonics
D003188:Composite Resins