Cavity preparation using hard tissue lasers in operative dentistry

Abstract

A laser is a device that delivers coherent, monochromatic and collimated light as a form of energy. Most dental laser devices emit invisible light in the infrared portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. On May 7, 1997, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cleared for marketing in the United States the first erbium: yttrium - aluminum -garnet, or Er: YAG, laser for use in preparing cavities in the teeth of living human subjects.