Conditioning of tooth enamel surface by radiation of Nd:YAG and Ho:YAG lasers

The structural changes in a human tooth enamel have been investigated by SEM method with action of submillisecond pulses of YAG:Nd and YAG:Cr;Tm;Ho lasers at the energy densities below the threshold of surface tissue ablation. The conditions of laser treatment leading to the essential increase of the acid resistance and microhardness of the intact enamel are defined. Influence of the laser radiation parameters on the acid resistance of the tooth crown in the pits and fissure area are investigated.© (1996) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.