Increased fluoride uptake in human dental specimens treated with diode laser

The hypothesis of this study was the fact that diode lasers can increase the fluoride uptake in dental structures. The main objectives were: (1) to evaluate the effect of diode laser-NaF varnish combination on binding fluoride to dental enamel in an in vitro model and (2) to analyse outer enamel surface changes produced by the laser energy. After NaF enamel varnish and laser irradiation at different levels of energy, specimen surfaces were examined by environmental scanning electron microscopy. The incorporation of F(-) ion into the dental structure was quantitatively determined by using a fluoride ion-selective electrode. Results showed that the laser treatment significantly increased the binding of fluoride to the enamel surface without damaging it. The amount of F(-) estimated was 37 +/- 7 mg/l to the power of 5 W and 58 +/- 12 mg/l to the power of 7 W. These increases were significantly greater than the ones achieved by conventional topical fluoridation. The results were analysed and compared by Kruskal-Wallis and Dunn's multiple comparison tests, and significant statistical differences were found. These suggest that the NaF varnish-diode laser combination may be a useful option for the effective fluoridation of teeth.