Carbon dioxide laser oral safety parameters for teeth.

The carbon dioxide laser is used in the oral cavity for a variety of procedures. Although the procedures may not involve the teeth directly, precaution should be exercised to preserve their integrity. The results of this study indicate that the most limiting parameter for oral use of the CO2 laser is damage to the enamel surface, which could be inflicted with as little as 5 W for 0.2 second and a 1 mm beam. Care should be exercised to prevent inadvertent damage to the surface enamel of teeth even at very low energy levels.