Evaluation of micromorphological changes in tooth enamel after mechanical and ultrafast laser preparation of surface cavities.

The aim of this in vitro study was to evaluate the morphological changes that occur in tooth enamel after mechanical instrumentation and after femtosecond laser irradiation with different parameters via light and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Twelve totally impacted third molars were collected and sectioned to provide several cut surfaces. These surfaces were exposed to infrared (λ = 795 nm, 120 fs, 1-kHz repetition rate, maximum mean power 1 W) laser pulses and machined by means of a conventional mechanical technique.