Intra-pulpal temperature rise of different tooth types during dental bleaching supported by an Er,Cr:YSGG laser. A pilot study.

The purpose of this pilot in vitro study was to evaluate the temperature increase in the pulp chamber of the teeth, during Er,Cr:YSGG bleaching, as well as to show which teeth are the most susceptible in terms of pulp temperature increase during laser-activated bleaching treatment. Although Er:YAG studies have been published on this subject, it is the first time Er,Cr:YSGG wavelength is tested. Fifteen teeth were tested--3 each of the following--(maxillary central incisors, lateral incisors, canines, premolars and mandibular incisors). The bleaching procedure comprised an Er,Cr:YSGG laser (2780 nm, Waterlase MD, Biolase, USA) and a yellow-coloured bleaching agent with a concentration of 38 % H2O2 (Power whitening, WHITEsmile GmbH, Germany). The tip used was a 6-mm long Z-type glass tip (MZ8) of a 800 µm diameter. Average output power was set to 1.25 W, pulse duration 700 µs (S-mode), whilst the pulse repetition rate was 10 Hz. The results showed that the most susceptible teeth in terms of pulp temperature increase were the lateral maxillary incisors and the mandibular incisors. The mean temperature increase on these teeth was 1.06 and 1.00 °C, respectively, on 60 s Er,Cr:YSGG-supported bleaching.

A comparative study of temperature elevation on human teeth root surfaces during Nd:YAG laser irradiation in root canals.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the temperatures on the root surfaces during Nd:YAG laser irradiation in root canals using pulse durations of 180 and 320 µs. Thirty extracted human teeth were used in this study. The teeth were enlarged up to ISO 40 (multi-rooted) or up to ISO 60 (single-rooted) by conventional technique using K-files. Then the teeth were placed into a water bath with a constant temperature of 37 °C and then irradiated with an Nd:YAG laser having an output power of 1.5 W, a frequency of 15 Hz, using an optic fiber of 200 µm diameter. The temperature on the root surface was measured by means of attaching thermocouples in three areas (coronal, mesial, and apical regions) of the root canals. The thermographic study showed that the average temperature elevation for both pulse durations on the root surfaces was less than 9 °C. There was no significant difference in the observed temperatures in coronal and mesial areas. Though a higher increase of temperature was observed in the apical region when the pulse length of the Nd:YAG laser was 320 µs. The results of the study showed that the temperature rises during Nd:YAG laser irradiation with parameters used in this study minimal to cause damage on bone and periodontal tissues. Moreover, it was suggested that in order to have lower temperature in the apical region, an Nd:YAG laser with a pulse length of 180 µs is preferred than one with a pulse length of 320 µs.