RESUMO
OBJECTIVES: The aim was to evaluate the effect on cavity preparation time, the pulse changes and the patient's subjective experience during removal of healthy tooth substance with high-speed bur and Er:YAG laser. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-five (13 male, 22 female) 14-18-year-olds participated. After local anaesthesia, Er:YAG laser and high-speed diamond bur were used for a 2 mm deep cavity preparation on the middle of the buccal surface on contra-lateral healthy maxillary first premolars. The cavity preparation time and the pulse were measured during the treatment. Subjective experience was evaluated using a VAS-scale and a questionnaire. Wilcoxon Signed Rank test and Chi-2-test were used for statistical analyses. RESULTS: The mean (SD) cavity preparation time was 3.7-times longer (p < 0.001) for the laser [59 (41) s] than for the high-speed bur [16 (4) s]. The mean pulse change during preparation differed (p < 0.05) between the bur (+2.2%) and laser (-4.4%). The smell was worse when laser was used (p < 0.01); 65.7% expressed less discomfort and 57.1% experienced a lower sound level when laser was used. Laser was preferred for future treatment in 62.9% of the adolescents. CONCLUSION: Laser ablation caused unpleasant smell and longer cavity preparation time, but was preferred by a majority of the adolescents.