Effects of Irradiation of Er,Cr:YSGG Laser on Periodontal-diseased Root Surfaces

Objective:The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of Er,Cr:YSGG laser irradiation at different energy outputs on periodontal-diseased root surfaces,so as to determine the feasibility and effectiveness of Er,Cr:YSGG laser in the treatment of periodontal diseases.Methods:12 human teeth III~o-loosened because of periodontal diseases were extracted and divided randomly into 3 groups with 4 teeth in each group.The 3 groups were irradiated at energy settings of 1.5 W,2.0 W and 2.5 W respectively before scanning electron microscopy(SEM) was used to observe the root surfaces and the longitudinal profiles in each group.Results:Lower magnifications revealed no distinct difference between the root surfaces in each group.All specimens showed clean surfaces and equal roughness with no notable craters observed.Under higher magnifications,the 1.5 W group showed smoother surfaces.There were no signs of craters,melting or carbonization,and no exposed dentinal tubules were observed.Conclusions:Er,Cr:YSGG laser could effectively remove the smear layers and infected cementum on periodontal-diseased root surfaces without causing negative changes like melting and carbonization.Compared to the other 2 groups,the 1.5 W group produced better results.