Effectiveness of an Er:YAG laser in etching the enamel surface for orthodontic bracket retention.

The purpose of this study was to test the effectiveness of an Er:YAG laser in etching the enamel surface for orthodontic treatment. Bovine incisors were either acid-etched or laser-treated. An orthodontic bracket was attached on each treated surface using one-step dentin adhesive and self-curing resin. Tensile bond strength was then evaluated. In addition, the surface morphology of specimens treated with phosphoric acid/laser and self-etching primer, as well as the cross-section of enamel-primer-resin interfaces, were observed. One-Up Bond F-treated specimens after Er:YAG laser ablation showed statistically similar tensile bond strength (9.9 +/- 1.3 MPa) to that of phosphoric acid-etched specimens (11.8 +/- 1.7 MPa). Surface roughness and thickness of the enamel-primer-resin interfaces did not much affect the tensile bond strength of the tested specimens. In conclusion, Er:YAG laser ablation achieved clinically acceptable level of tensile bond strength when used with One-Up Bond F.