Product Code: ICAL05_P569

Sealing of Human Dentinal Tubules by KrF 248 nm Laser Radiation
Authors:
Sivakumar Manickam, IST; Lisboa Portugal
Rui Vilar, Instituto Superior Tecnico; Lisboa Portugal
Vitor Oliveira, Instituto Superior Tecnico; Lisboa Portugal
Presented at ICALEO 2005

Exposure of dentinal tubules is the common cause of dental hypersensitivity. Exposed dentin tubules are unduly sensitive to thermal, mechanical, or chemical stimuli. Treatment for this should be fast, painless on application and long lasting. However most of the conventional treatments are either ineffective or relatively short-lived. The aim of the present investigation is to study the use of the KrF excimer laser radiation to seal dentin tubules and, hence, to minimize sensitivity. Dentin slices of 2 mm thick were prepared from the crown above the pulp. Slices were laser processed with a fluence of 1 J/cm2 and number of pulses ranging from 10 to 100. Non-processed dentin surfaces showed open dentin tubules while, in laser processed dentin, tubules were closed due to melting of peritubular dentin.
Also slices of non-carious lesions with open dentin tubules were showed closure of dentin tubules by re-solidified material after laser processing. The exposed tubules in non-carious lesions were surface processed using KrF excimer laser radiation fluence 1 J/cm2, 100 laser pulses. The processed surfaces present a continuous resolidified layer, which closes the dentinal tubules.