Use of carbon dioxide lasers in dentistry

Abstract

Aim: This paper aims to perform a descriptive analysis by reviewing publications concerned with the production of carbon dioxide (CO2) lasers and their technological advancement, optical properties, and parameters in relation to clinical applications in dentistry.

Methods: This review was based on the literature search in Scopus, Google Scholar, and PubMed in English. The last search was made in December 2017 and there was no publication-year limit.

Results: : The 10,600-nm CO2 laser is a readily available dental laser on the market. It enables performance of a bloodless surgical procedure and reduces post-operative discomfort in soft tissue dental surgery. Due to the advancement of technology, CO2 lasers with short pulse duration and high peak power are available. This new-parameter CO2 laser causes less collateral thermal damage to soft tissue than conventional lasers with continuous wave mode. Recently, a 9,300-nm wavelength CO2 laser has been introduced for clinical use in dental hard tissue removal. These developments make CO2 lasers fitting for dental hard tissue preparation.

Conclusions: The 10,600-nm CO2 laser is widely accepted for soft tissue surgery applications. Although CO2 lasers have been studied extensively in caries prevention, they have not been applied in clinical practice. The optical properties of 9,300-nm and 9,600-nm CO2 wavelengths are suitable for dental hard tissue treatment. Technological advancements in software and laser parameters will aid in new clinical application and technique development. CO2 lasers as hard tissue lasers will become more popular and more widely accessible to researchers and clinicians.