Measurement of pressure changes during laser-activated irrigant by an erbium, chromium: yttrium, scandium, gallium, garnet laser

• Published in: Lasers in medical science Vol. 30; no. 5; pp. 1449 - 1455
• Main Authors: Peeters, Harry Huiz, De Moor, Roeland J. G.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Springer London 01.07.2015; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Animals; Canals; Chromium; Cuspid - pathology; Dentistry; EDTA; Humans; Irrigation; Lasers; Lasers, Solid-State; Maxillofacial surgery; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Optical Devices; Optics; Original Article; Photonics; Pressure; Quantum Optics; Root Canal Irrigants - radiation effects; Root Canal Therapy - methods; Roots; Teeth; Tips; Er,Cr:YSGG laser; Endodontics; Pressure wave
• ISSN: 0268-8921; 1435-604X
• DOI: 10.1007/s10103-014-1605-5

The use of Er,Cr:YSGG laser to activate irrigants results in the creation of vapour bubbles and shockwaves. The present study evaluated the magnitude of pressure changes in the root canal during laser-activated irrigation. The root canal of a single extracted maxillary canine was enlarged to a size 40/0.06 file. A pressure sensor was inserted apically into the root canal. The tooth was processed as follows. In the EDTA condition, the tooth was irrigated with 17 % EDTA; in the NaOCl condition, the tooth was irrigated with 3 % NaOCl. In all conditions, the irrigants were activated at 0.75 and 1.75 W for 60 s using RFT2 and MZ2 tips; to analyse the effect of tip placement, the tip was activated at the orifice and after inserting the tip 5 mm deeper than the orifice. Data showed no significant difference between irrigation regimens ( p  > 0.05). There were no significant differences of the pressure between RFT2 and MZ2 tips ( p  > 0.05). The placement of tips closer to the apex resulted in significantly higher pressure than at the orifice ( p  < 0.001). The use of 1.75 W power resulted in a significantly higher increase of pressure compared to 0.75 W ( p  < 0.001), regardless either the type of solutions or tips used. The magnitude of the pressure changes in the root canal at 0.75 W was significantly lower than 1.75 W regardless of either type of tips or solutions used. The closer the insertion of the tip to the apex, the higher the pressure.