Abstract
In the irradiation of laser to teeth, cracks are introduced on enamel surface and the temperature in pulp chamber is elevated.These behaviors are considered to be damageable to teeth. Safe energy density of laser exposure to teeth was found to be below 24J/cm2.Acid solubilities of enamel blocks were tested for a) unlased samples, b) only lased, c) unlased, treated with caries inhibiting agents(38% Ag(NH3)2F, 2% NaF, 8% SnF2, 2% FeCl3+1% NaF), and d)lased, with the previous treatments.Laser irradiation tended to decrease their acid solubilities.The X-ray diffraction analysis of lased enamel powder showed that the crystallite size of enamel apatite increased in the a-axis and decreased in the c-axis.Acid solubility of lased enamel decreased as the specific surface area of enamel apatite calculated from the crystallite size decreased.
