Measurement of temperature changes during cavitation generated by an erbium, chromium: Yttrium, scandium, gallium garnet laser

Abstract

Aim: The present study evaluated the magnitude of temperature changes in the tooth during cavitation produced by an Er,Cr:YSGG laser. Methods: The root canal of a single extracted maxillary canine was enlarged to a size 30/.02 file. Four thermocouples were attached to the tooth: one to the surface of the root and three inserted into the canal at 3, 9, and 15 mm from the apical foramen, respectively. The tooth was placed in a plastic container at room temperature around 25°C. The tooth was processed as follows. In the EDTA condition, the tooth was irrigated with 17% EDTA; in the NaOCl condition, the tooth was irrigated with 3% NaOCl; and to analyse the effect of different thicknesses of dentin, the tooth was irrigated with tap water. In all conditions, the irrigants were activated at 2 W for 120 seconds. Results: The mean temperature was 25.2°C to 27.1°C and the temperature ranged from 25.0°C to 29.6°C. The temperature elevation measured during cavitation generated by the laser didnot exceed 5°C. Conclusions: The magnitude of the temperature changes in the root canal and at the surface of the tooth did not exceed 5°C when laser-driven irrigation was used to produce cavitation in the root canal.