Influence of Water Absorption Shift on Ablation Speed of Er:YAG and Er,Cr:YSGG Dental Lasers

Janez Diaci, Cene Filipic, Tadej Perhavec, Matjaz Lukac
Pages: 17-22

When comparing the wavelengths of erbium-based dental lasers, the 2.94 μm wavelength of the Er:YAG laser is at an advantage as it matches the absorption peak of water, while the absorption coefficient for the Er,Cr:YSGG laser (2.78 μm) in water is significantly lower. However, since the spectroscopy literature indicates that the absorption peak of water decreases and shifts towards shorter wavelengths for increasing temperature, it has been theorized that the ablation efficiency of the Er,Cr:YSGG should actually be higher compared to that of the Er:YAG. This hypothesis is not confirmed by our comparison study of hard dental tissue ablation speeds of the two erbium laser wavelengths. In agreement with previously published studies, the Er:YAG laser was found to be more effective for cutting enamel than Er,Cr:YSGG. Key words: Er:YAG; Er,Cr:YSGG, laser dentistry, ablation, water absorption, dynamic optical properties, hard dental tissue.

Article: LA&HA, Vol. 2013, No. 1; pp. 17-22.

Influence of Water Absorption Shift on Ablation Speed of Er:YAG and Er,Cr:YSGG Dental Lasers