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In vitro enamel caries formation: argon laser, light-emitting diode and APF treatment effect
Gary H Westerman1, M John Hicks, Catherine Flaitz
1Department of Community and Preventive Dentistry, Creighton University, Omaha, NE, USA.
Purpose:
To evaluate argon laser irradiation (AL), light-emitting diode exposure (LED), and acidulated phosphate fluoride treatment (APF) in vitro effects on caries-like enamel caries formation.
Methods:
Sound teeth (n = 18) were divided into four tooth quarters and coated with an acid-resistant varnish, leaving an enamel window exposed per tooth quarter. The tooth quarters were assigned to: (1) no treatment (control, mesiobuccal); (2) 1.23% APF (4 minutes, distolingual); (3) LED (Ultradent Ultra-Lume LED2 20 seconds, mesiolingual); and (4) AL (HGM Model 8, 11.5 J/cm2, 231 mW, 5mm beam size, 10 seconds, distobuccal). Following caries-like lesion formation (modified ten Cate solution), longitudinal sections (three per tooth quarter, 54 lesions per group) were obtained and evaluated for mean lesion depths (water imbibition, polarized light microscopy, ANOVA, DMR).
Results:
Mean lesion depths were: 198 +/- 21 microm for controls; 186 +/- 17 microm for LED; 117 +/- 19 microm for AL; and 104 +/- 23 microm for APF. Lesion depths were statistically significantly decreased for AL (41%) and APF (47%) groups (P < 0.05), compared with controls. A slight lesion depth reduction for LED (6%) was present compared with controls; however this was not statistically significantly different (P > 0.05).
