Background: Lasers have become an increasingly popular tool in the field of dentistry due their ability to perform a wide variety of both hard and soft tissue procedures. Recently it has been proposed that lasers may prove to be useful in the removal of some all-ceramic restorations, particularly veneers. The amount of temperature being generated intrapulpally during such a procedure has yet to be studied.
Methods: Thirty IPS e.max® Press lithium disilicate veneers were cemented to thirty extracted human premolars with Variolink® Veneer resin cement. Veneers were randomly divided into one of five groups, and scanned with an Er,Cr:YSGG laser at either 0W/0Hz, 25W/25Hz, 35W/25Hz, 25W/35Hz, or 35W/35Hz. During laser scanning, intrapulpal temperatures and debonding times were monitored.
Results: Increasing the laser wattage and/or pulse repetition rate resulted in an increase in the temperature generated intrapulpally. Increasing the wattage and/or decreasing the pulse repetition rate resulted in a reduced debonding time. At both 0W/0Hz and 23W/35Hz veneers we unable to be debonded.
Conclusions: The laser group at 2.5W/25Hz was the overall safest laser group studied. Based upon the results of this study, laser removal of ceramic veneers should be a safe procedure for the dental pulp if the correct laser settings are used.