Microleakage of resin-based sealants after Er:YAG laser conditioning

The aim of this in vitro study was to investigate the effects of Er:YAG laser pretreatment procedures in fissure sealing. The fissures of 90 third molars were prepared in the mesial halves with Er:YAG laser (λ = 2,940 nm, 250 mJ/pulse, 4 Hz, fluence 32 J/cm2) and acid etched. They were randomly assigned to three groups, and the fissures in the distal halves were prepared differently according to the group: acid etching alone, bur and etching or Er:YAG laser alone. The fissures were sealed using Clinpro™ sealant (3M). The extent of microleakage was measured with a digital-image analyzer. The sealants prepared with Er:YAG laser alone displayed greater microleakage than the others (p < 0.05). Er:YAG laser irradiation does not eliminate the need for etching the enamel surface before sealing.