Abstract

Less-invasive treatment of caries has been needed in laser dentistry. Based on the absorption property of dentin substrates, 6 μm wavelength range shows specific absorptions and promising characteristics for the excavation. In our previous study, 5.8 μm wavelength range was found to be effective for selective excavation of carious dentin and restoration treatment using composite resin from the irradiation experiment with bovine sound and demineralized dentin. In this study, the availability of 5.8 μm wavelength range for selective excavation of human carious dentin was investigated for clinical application. A mid-infrared tunable nanosecond pulsed laser by difference-frequency generation was used for revealing the ablation property of human carious dentin. Irradiation experiments indicated that the wavelength of 5.85 μm and the average power density of 30 W/cm² realized the selective excavation of human carious dentin, but ablation property was different with respect to each sample because of the different caries progression. In conclusion, the wavelength of 5.85 μm could realize the selective excavation of human carious dentin, but it was necessary to evaluate the stage of caries progression in order to control the ablation property.

© 2013 SPIE