Femtosecond laser ablation of enamel

What is it about?

The study is the first to show the ultrafast melting and resolidification of dental enamel by the irradiation with femtosecond near - IR laser ( 1030 nm wavelength, 560 fs pulse duration). The melting is limited to a very shallow surface region (~ nm thick) and to the irradiated spot. Amorphous calcium phosphate is detected in the resolidified material.

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Why is it important?

Femtosecond lasers have been considered a very promising tool for minimally invasive surgery, It has been reported that the ablation of dental tissues by femtosecond lasers is non-thermal. In the present study, melting of dental enamel, which is limited to a very thin layer on the tissue surface, is shown for the first time. From a clinical point of view, the melting of enamel by the femtosecond laser might create a surface layer with high resistance against the acid erosion. On the other hand, the results show that thermal and mechanical effects induced in the remaining material are much lower as compared to other lasers used in the clinics such as Er:YAG, Nd:YAG and CO2 lasers.