2011 Volume 22 Issue 1 Pages 10-15
In the last twenty years, treatments and care for dental caries by using various lasers have been established. Lasers can offer pain relief and/or faster healing not possible with ordinary treatment, and thus various high-quality treatments and services can be provided to the public. Laser dentistry is expected to continue to develop.
The present paper reviews the following topics on the basis of a series of studies by the authors on laser dentistry: laser application in the examination and diagnosis of dental caries, preventive cure for the modification of tooth structures such as enhancing acid resistance, uptake of fluorides, and fusing nano-apatite crystals, and surgical intervention for removing dental caries and subsequent adhesive restorative treatment. The paper describes the current status and future development of laser dentistry for dental hard tissue.
