Biochemical and morphological analysis of dentin following selective caries removal with a fluorescence-controlled Er:YAG laser.
OBJECTIVE
We evaluated the endpoint of caries removal with a novel fluorescence-controlled Er:YAG laser by biochemical analysis of dentin collagen and electron microscopy.


METHODS
For the biochemical analysis 210 carious and 60 caries-free teeth were treated by a fluorescence controlled Er:YAG laser (n=240) or by conventional drilling (n=30). A layer of dentin from the cavity floor was removed to determine collagen crosslinks hydroxylysylpyridinoline (HP) and lysylpyridinoline (LP) by HPLC. Thirty teeth were examined by SEM and TEM.


RESULTS
Approximately 100% HP and LP were found in carious dentin, in contrast to 0.33% (HP) and 0.68% (LP) in sound dentin. Following caries removal by laser 0.84% (HP) and 1.26% (LP) and 1.56% (HP) and 2.48% (LP) (threshold level 5, respectively 10) were found.


CONCLUSIONS
The biochemical and ultrastructural analysis demonstrated the suitability of the fluorescence controlled Er:YAG laser to remove irreversibly denatured collagen of carious dentin.
Jepsen
Søren
S
Department of Operative Dentistry and Periodontology, University Hospital Bonn, 53111 Bonn, Germany. jepsen@uni-bonn.de
Açil
Yahya
Y
Peschel
Thorsten
T
Kargas
Konstantinos
K
Eberhard
Jörg
J
D000596:Amino Acids / Q000378:metabolism; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D003737:Dental Cavity Preparation; D003804:Dentin / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D005453:Fluorescence; D006801:Humans; D053844:Lasers, Solid-State / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D046509:Tissue Culture Techniques; D014081:Tooth Extraction
D000596:Amino Acids; C015484:pyridinoline; C036020:deoxypyridinoline