title: Ablation rate and micromorphological aspects with Nd:YAG picosecond pulsed laser on primary teeth.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We have investigated the fundamental aspects of Nd:YAG laser at the picosecond pulse regime interacting with primary teeth. Because little is present in the literature concerning specific laser ablation for primary teeth with respect to enamel and dentin, this work may open perspectives for new investigations.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using a picosecond Nd:YAG laser, different power levels (200, 300, and 350 mW) and different exposition times (5, 10, and 15 seconds) were considered.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Micro-morphological aspects of the laser-tooth interaction showed collateral effects in enamel more accentuated than in dentin. Penetration depth in dentin seems to scale up in rate as the time of application progress, for enamel the behavior is the opposite. The overall ablated volume is higher in dentin when compared with enamel, which results in a higher ablated rate as well.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Specific ablation characteristics are observed in either dentin or enamel.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Física de São Carlos- USP, Av. Trabalhador Sancarlense, 400, São Carlos-SP, Brazil. lizarelli@if.sc.usp.br
authors.forename: Rosane
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: de F Z Lizarelli
authors.forename: Lilian T
authors.initials: LT
authors.lastname: Moriyama
authors.forename: Vanderlei S
authors.initials: VS
authors.lastname: Bagnato
mesh_terms: D003743:Dental Enamel / Q000528:radiation effects* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D003804:Dentin / Q000528:radiation effects* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006801:Humans; D007700:Kinetics; D007834:Lasers; D008853:Microscopy / Q000379:methods; D009354:Neodymium; D013997:Time Factors; D014094:Tooth, Deciduous / Q000528:radiation effects* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D015019:Yttrium
chemical_list: D009354:Neodymium; D015019:Yttrium