Effects of different application durations of ER:YAG laser on intrapulpal temperature change during debonding

This study was done to determine the amount of lasing time required to remove ceramic brackets safely without causing intrapulpal damage by using Er:YAG laser with the scanning method. Part 1: 80 bovine mandibular incisors with ceramic brackets were randomly assigned into four groups of 20 as one control and three study groups. In the study groups, brackets were debonded after lasing for 3, 6, and 9 s, whereas debonding was performed without lasing in the control group. Shear bond strengths and ARI scores were also measured. Part 2: 30 human premolars with ceramic brackets were randomly divided into three groups of ten, as 3, 6, and 9 s of lasing durations. Intrapulpal temperature was measured at the same lasing times by a thermocouple. Statistically significant lower shear bond strengths were found in study groups compared to the control. A negative correlation was seen between the bond strengths and ARI scores in such a way that, as the shear bond strengths decreased, the ARI scores increased. Temperature increases for all the study groups were measured below the 5.5°C benchmark. All lasing times were effective for debonding without causing enamel tear outs or bracket failures. The temperature proportionally increased with the extension of the lasing duration. Six-second lasing by the scanning method using Er:YAG laser was found to be the most effective and safest way of removing the ceramic brackets without causing damage to the enamel and pulpal tissues.