Content area
Full text
Lasers Med Sci (2008) 23:141147 DOI 10.1007/s10103-007-0466-6
ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Fluoride uptake and acid resistance of enamel irradiated with Er:YAG laser
Flvia M. Bevilcqua & Denise Maria Zezell &
Romeu Magnani & Patricia A. da Ana &
Carlos de Paula Eduardo
Received: 15 September 2006 / Accepted: 1 March 2007 / Published online: 26 September 2007 # Springer-Verlag London Limited 2007
Abstract This study evaluated the resistance to demineralization and fluoride incorporation of enamel irradiated with Er:YAG. A total of 110 bovine teeth were selected and divided into eight groups: unlased, 37% phosphoric acid, and samples irradiated with the Er:YAG laser at several fluences (31.84 J/cm2, 25.47 J/cm2, 19.10 J/cm2,2.08J/cm2,1.8 J/cm2, and 0.9 J/cm2). The application of acidulated phosphate fluoride was performed after treatments. All samples were immersed in 2 ml of 2.0 M aceticacetate acid solution at pH 4.5 for 8 h, and fluoride, calcium, and phosphorus ions dissolved were analyzed by atomic absorption spectrometry and spectrophotometry. The phosphoric acid and 31.84 J/cm2 groups presented the lowest dissolution of calcium and phosphorus ions. Higher fluoride incorporation was observed on 1.8 J/cm2 and0.9 J/cm2 groups. Based on these results, Er:YAG laser was able to decrease acid dissolution and increase fluoride uptake and can be a promissory alternative for preventive dentistry.
Keywords Laser . Enamel . Demineralization . Fluoride
Introduction
The prevalence of dental caries has declined due to the worldwide preventive measures adopted, such as water fluoridation and the waste of products containing fluoride. Despite of that, dental caries is reported to be the most common chronic childhood disease, and its manifestation is still high in some groups. The main reasons for this high manifestation in some individuals are the growing sugar consumption and inadequate exposure to fluorides [14].
The caries process is characterized by mineral loss of enamel and dentin, which is caused by the acid by-products of bacterial metabolism [5, 6]. In this context, fluoride is a widely applied method for caries prevention that can enhance the subsurface remineralization of carious enamel, resulting in arrestment or reversal of caries lesions and inhibit the demineralization during the bacterially generated acid challenge [6, 7]. Topical fluoride application results in a deposition of surface crystals of calcium fluoride (CaF2)
that act as a reservoir releasing fluoride in...