Micro-cracking of tooth structure

To determine if the cutting procedure utilized in producing a cavity preparation, i.e., a high speed dental handpiece or an Er:YAG laser may be a factor in initiating the formation of micro-cracks during or after preparation of the cavity and before and after placing and curing the dental composite.

Class I occlusal and Class II MOD preparations were prepared in extracted third molars using a high speed dental handpiece equipped with a coarse diamond bur or with an Er:YAG laser at 260mJ and 25Hz. Composite was placed into the cavity level with the occlusal surface and bulk cured. The extreme factors of a coarse diamond bur and bulk curing of the composite were utilized to maximize the stresses at the tooth-composite interface. The teeth were vertically sectioned, facio-lingually, and examined, along with resin replicas, under a scanning electron microscope (SEM) to look for the presence of microcracks at the composite/enamel interface and composite/dentin interface.

SEM examination indicated that micro-cracking of the tooth structure was not significant or consistent in any of the specimens examined. This study was unable to confirm that micro-cracks form at the composite/tooth interface.