Laser etching of teeth for orthodontic bracket placement: a preliminary clinical study.

Current interest in the use of layers in clinical dentistry has suggested that this technique may be applicable to enamel etching in orthodontics. A pulsed Nd:YAG laser was used to etch the enamel surfaces of teeth in vivo prior to the bonding of orthodontic brackets with composite resin. Overall laser bonding took considerably longer, was less reliable in terms of bond strength, and produced more discomfort than conventional acid etching. The use of the ND:YAG laser for etching teeth prior to bonding orthodontic brackets is not recommended.