Abstract This study evaluated how Er,Cr:YSGG laser, associated or not with 5% fluoride varnish, influences the surface roughness and volume loss of bovine root dentin submitted to erosive and/or abrasive wear. One hundred and twenty dentin specimens were divided into the groups: without preventive treatment (WPT), 5% fluoride varnish (FV); Er,Cr:YSGG laser irradiation (L), and varnish combined with laser (FV + L). The specimens (n = 10) were subdivided into: 1 = erosion (E); 2 = abrasion (A); and 3 = erosion followed by abrasion (E + A). The erosive solution used was a soft-drink (pH = 2.42 at 4ºC) applied in 5-min cycles twice a day for 10d. Abrasive wear involved brushing for 60s with an electric brush (1,600-oscillations/s) at a load of 2.0N. Surface roughness and volume loss were evaluated using a laser scanning confocal microscope. Roughness data were submitted to one-way ANOVA and Tukey post-hoc test. For volume loss, the Kruskal-Wallis and Dunn’s post-hoc tests were used (α = 5%). The lowest values of roughness were found in the control areas of all subgroups (p > 0.05). In the experimental area, the [(WPT) + (E+A)] subgroup had a significantly higher roughness (5.712 ± 0.163 μm 2 ) than the other subgroups (p < 0.05). The L and (FV + L) groups had statistically similar roughness, regardless of the type of wear. The (FV + L) group had the lowest volume loss, regardless of the type of wear performed: [(FV + L) + (E)] = 7.5%, [(FV + L) + (A) = 7.3%, and [(FV + L) + (E + A)] = 8.1%. The subgroup [(WPT) + (E + A)] had the highest volume loss (52.3%). The proposed treatments were effective in controlling dentin roughness. Laser irradiation can be an effective method to increase root dentin resistance after challenges and limit problems related to non-carious lesions.

The use of erbium lasers to prevent caries in enamel has shown positive results. However, it is not known if Er,Cr:YSGG laser can also be used to increase acid resistance of root dentine, which is another dental tissue susceptible to the action of cariogenic bacteria. Objective: To analyze the effects of the Er,Cr:YSGG laser (λ=2.78 μm, 20 Hz) irradiation associated with 2% neutral sodium fluoride (NaF) to prevent root dentin demineralization. Material and Methods: One hundred human root dentin samples were divided into 10 groups (G) and treated as follows: G1: no treatment; G2: NaF; G3: laser (4.64 J/cm2) with water cooling (WC=5.4 mL/min); G4: laser (4.64 J/cm2) without WC; G5: laser (8.92 J/cm2) with WC; G6: laser (8.92 J/cm2) without WC; G7: laser (4.64 J/cm2) with WC and NaF; G8: laser (4.64 J/cm2) without WC and NaF; G9: laser (8.92 J/cm2) with WC and NaF; G10: laser (8.92 J/cm2) without WC and NaF. The NaF gel was applied alone or after 4 min of irradiation. After 14 days of acid challenge, the samples were sectioned and the Knoop microhardness (KHN) test was done at different depths (30, 60, 90 and 120 μm) from the outer dentin surface. Data were analyzed by one-way ANOVA and Fisher’s test (α=5%). Results: The results showed that G8 and G10 presented higher KHN than the G1 for the depths of 30 and 60 μm, indicating an increase of the acid resistance of the dentin in up to 35% (p<0.05). Conclusions: The use of Er,Cr:YSGG laser irradiation at 4.64 J/ cm2 and 8.92 J/cm2 without water cooling and associated with 2% NaF can increase the acid resistance of human root dentin.

A alteração da microestrutura do implante durante seu manuseio pode reduzir o potencial do tratamento superfícial na osteoindução e consequentemente na osseointegração. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar o efeito do torque de inserção e do ensaio de arrancamento, na microestrutura de implantes odontológicos de diferentes formatos, por meio de espectometria de energia dispersiva de raios-X (EDS). Para a realização do estudo foram selecionados quatro modelos de implantes Conexão(r) (n=8): Cônico com tratamento de superfície (COTS), Cilíndrico com tratamento de superfície (CTS), Cilíndrico com duplo tratamento de superfície (CTSD) e Cilíndrico com superfície usinada (CSU). Antes e após a realização dos ensaios mecânicos, os parafusos foram submetidos à análise da composição química de suas superfícies, por meio de EDS. Os resultados obtidos com a análise microestrutural demonstraram a presença de três elementos químicos principais: Ti, C e O. Foi verificada alteração estatisticamente significante na concentração dos elementos Ti e C. O implante com duplo tratamento de superfície (CTSD) foi o que apresentou a maior redução do Ti e maior aumento do C. A partir dos dados obtidos foi possível concluir que a manipulação mecânica pode alterar a superfície dos implantes quanto à sua microestrutura. Sendo assim, o planejamento cirúrgico deve levar em conta a escolha do tratamento de superfície, pois uma vez que o implante é inserido e removido do leito ósseo suas características podem ser alteradas.

The change in the implant microstructure during handling may reduce the potential of surface treatment on the osteoinduction and, therefore, on the osseointegration. The aim of this study was to evaluate by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) the effect of insertion torque and pullout test on the microstructure of dental implants with different shapes. Four shapes of implants (n=8) were selected: conical with surface treatment (COTS), cylindrical with surface treatment (CTS), cylindrical with double surface treatment (CTSD) and cylindrical with machined surface (CSU). Before and after performing the mechanical tests, the screw surfaces were subjected to analysis of chemical composition by EDX. The results obtained by the microstructural analysis showed presence of three main chemical elements: Ti, C and O. There was a significant change in the concentration of Ti and C. The implant with double surface treatment (CTSD) showed the greatest Ti reduction and the greatest C increase. It may be concluded that the mechanical manipulation may alter the implant surfaces as regards their microstructure. Therefore, surgical planning should take into consideration the choice of surface treatment because the characteristics of the implants may be modified as they are inserted and removed from the bone site.