title: Comparative study of root canals instrumented manually and mechanically, with and without Er:YAG laser.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to compare the scanning electron microscopic (SEM) morphology of root canal walls instrumented manually and mechanically with and without the application of Er:YAG laser.
  
  
  METHODS
  Single-rooted, human, extracted teeth were cut at the cementoenamel junction. The teeth were divided into four groups: teeth that were simply instrumented manually, those that were instrumented manually and laser treated, a group that was mechanically instrumented, and a fourth in which the teeth were mechanically instrumented and laser treated. After instrumentation, the teeth were split longitudinally to facilitate their evaluation by SEM.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results show that the use of the Er:YAG laser is effective in removing the smear layer from root canal walls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The removal of the smear layer is essential to the success of endodontic treatment; the use of the Er:YAG laser combined with rotary and manual techniques improves the cleanliness of root canals.
authors.affiliation: Division of Dental Pathology and Therapeutics, Department of Stomatology, Dental and Medicine School, University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain. bjmbptd@usc.es
authors.forename: Benjamín Martín
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Biedma
authors.forename: Purificación
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Varela Patiño
authors.forename: Saem Ahn
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Natalia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Barciela Castro
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Magán Muñoz
authors.forename: José Domingo
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: González Bahillo
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cantatore
mesh_terms: D003786:Dental Pulp Cavity / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D004867:Equipment Design; D004869:Equipment Safety; D004871:Erbium; D006801:Humans; D053685:Laser Therapy; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D010316:Particle Size; D011336:Probability; D011897:Random Allocation; D012390:Root Canal Therapy / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D012494:Sampling Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014070:Tooth; D015019:Yttrium
chemical_list: D015019:Yttrium; D004871:Erbium