OBJETIVO: O objetivo do presente estudo foi investigar os efeitos térmicos do laser de Er,Cr:YSGG (1,5W/20Hz) em zircônia tetragonal policristalina estabilizada com ítrio (Y-TZP). MATERIAL E MÉTODO: Quinze discos de Y-TZP (AS Technology Titanium FIX, São José dos Campos, Brasil) com 5 mm de diâmetro e 3 mm de altura padronizados com CAD-CAM (computer-aided design e computer-aided manufacturing) foram usados. Os discos de Y-TZP foram randomicamente distribuídos em três grupos (n=5): Y-TZP-G1 = controle (sem irradiação); Y-TZP-G2 = Y-TZP + Er,Cr:YSGG (proporção resfriamento ar-água 80%/25%); Y-TZP-G3 = Y-TZP + Er,Cr:YSGG (proporção resfriamento ar-água 80%/0%). Um termopar (SmartMether, Novus, Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil) acoplado a um termômetro digital (SmartMether, Novus, Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil) foi fixado na face oposta à superfície irradiada. Os gradientes de temperatura ΔT foram calculados (ΔT = Temperatura final - Temperatura inicial) para cada grupo. Os valores foram analisados estatisticamente por one-way ANOVA com 95% de confiança e comparados pelo teste Tukey (α=0,05). Uma amostra de cada grupo foi analisada por microscopia confocal de luz branca. RESULTADO: O teste ANOVA mostrou diferenças significativas para o fator "laser" (p< 0,001). Os gradientes de temperatura (valores de ΔT) apresentaram os seguintes resultados: Y-TZP-G1 = 0 ºC; Y-TZP-G2 = -1,4 ºC e Y-TZP-G3= 21,4 ºC. O valor de ΔT (ºC) do grupo sem refrigeração foi maior do que o grupo refrigerado. Os valores de rugosidade (Ra) variaram de 4,50 até -33,65 µm. CONCLUSÃO: A refrigeração com água para a irradiação do laser de Er,Cr:YSGG é essencial para evitar o aumento de temperatura de Y-TZP.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of the present study was to investigate the thermal effects of Er,Cr:YSGG laser irradiation (1.5W/20Hz) on yttrium-stabilized tetragonal zirconia polycrystal (Y-TZP). MATERIAL AND METHOD: Fifteen disks of Y-TZP (AS Technology TitaniumFIX, São José dos Campos, Brazil) with 5 mm diameter and 3 mm high standardized with CAD-CAM were used. The Y-TZP disks were randomized in three groups (n=5): Y-TZP-G1 = control (no laser treatment); Y-TZP-G2 = Y-TZP + Er,Cr:YSGG laser (air-water cooling proportion 80%/25%); Y-TZP-G3 = Y-TZP + Er,Cr:YSGG laser (air-water cooling proportion 80%/0%). A thermopar (SmartMether, Novus, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil) was attached to a digital thermometer (SmartMether, Novus, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil) fixed to the opposite irradiated surface. The temperature gradients (ΔT) were calculated (ΔT = Final Temperature - Initial Temperature) for each group. Values were statistically analyzed by one-way ANOVA at the 95% confidence level and compared by Tukey post-hoc test (α=0.05) for each material. One sample of each group was analyzed by confocal white light microscopy. RESULT: The ANOVA test showed significant differences for the factor "laser" (p<.001). The temperature gradients (ΔT value) showed the following results: Y-TZP-G1 = 0 ºC; Y-TZP-G2 = -1.4 ºC and Y-TZP-G3 = 21.4 ºC. The ΔT values (ºC) of the non-refrigerated group were higher than the refrigerated group. The roughness value (Ra) ranged from 4.50 to -33.65 µm. CONCLUSION: The water refrigeration for Er,Cr:YSGG irradiation is essential to avoid thermal increase in the Y-TZP.

This study evaluated the effects of the photoactivation source and restorative material on the development of caries-like lesions on human enamel after an in vitro pH challenge. Enamel cavities were prepared in 36 blocks, which were assigned to two groups according to the restorative material: resin-modified glass ionomer (RMGI) and composite resin (CR). Samples were exposed to quartz-tungsten-halogen lamp, argon-ion laser, or light-emitting diode (n = 6). The Knoop microhardness (KHN) values of the top surface of all materials were evaluated. Restored enamel blocks were thermocycled and subjected to 10 demineralization-remineralization cycles at 37°C. KHN analysis of the superficial enamel was performed by four indentations located 100 mm from the restoration margin. The material KHN was not affected by the photoactivation source. No significant difference in KHN was noted between CR and RMGI. The enamel surface around RMGI exhibited a higher KHN (272.8 KHN) than the enamel around CR (93.3 KHN), regardless of the photoactivation source. Enamel demineralization around the dental restoration was not influenced by the photoactivation source. Less enamel demineralization was observed around the RMGI than around the CR restoration.

The wide use of dental bleaching treatment has brought concern about the possible effects of hydrogen peroxide on dental tissue and restorative materials. The objective of this study was to evaluate in vitro the effect of nightguard bleaching on the surface roughness of dental ceramics after different periods of bleaching treatment. Fifteen specimens of 5 × 3 × 1 mm were created with three dental ceramics following the manufacturers' instructions: IPS Classic (Ivoclar-Vivadent); IPS d.Sign (Ivoclar-Vivadent); and VMK-95 (Vita). A profilometer was used to evaluate baseline surface roughness (Ra values) of all ceramics by five parallel measurements with five 0.25 mm cut off (Λc) at 0.1 mm/s. Afterwards, all specimens were submitted to 6-h daily bleaching treatments with 10% or 16% carbamide peroxide (Whiteness- FGM) for 21 days, while control groups from each ceramic system were stored in artificial saliva. The surface roughness of all groups was evaluated after 18 h, 42 h, 84 h, and 126 h of bleaching treatment. The surface roughness of each specimen (n = 5) was based on the mean value of five parallel measurements in each time and all data were submitted to two-way repeated measures ANOVA and Tukey's post-hoc test (α = 0.05). No significant differences in ceramic surface roughness were observed between untreated and bleached ceramic surfaces, regardless of bleaching intervals or bleaching treatments. This study provided evidence that at-home bleaching systems do not cause detrimental effects on surface roughness of dental ceramics.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the degree of conversion by Knoop microhardness (KHN) and FT-Raman spectroscopy (FTIR) of one nanofilled (Filtek Supreme-3M-ESPE [FS]) and one microhybrid composite (Charisma-Heraeus-Kulzer [CH]), each with different opacities, namely enamel, dentin, and translucent, which were photo-activated by a quartz-tungsten-halogen lamp (QTH) and a light-emitting diode (LED). Resin was bulk inserted into a disc-shaped mold that was 2.0 mm thick and 4 mm in diameter, obtaining 10 samples per group. KHN and FTIR values were analyzed by two-way ANOVA and Tukey's tests (α = 0.05). Nanofilled resin activated by a LED presented higher microhardness values than samples activated by a QTH for dentin opacity (p < 0.05). The microhybrid resin showed no differences in KHN or FTIR values with different activation sources or opacity. The nanofilled dentin and enamel resins showed lower FTIR values than the translucent resin. The KHN values of the translucent resins were not influenced by the light source.