Long-term clinical evaluation of class V restorations in cavities treated wiht the Er:YAG laser associated to the use of self-etching adhesive systems

Abstract

Several studies in the literature report the use of Er:YAG lasers for the treatment (ablative or sub-ablative parameters) of dental surface prior to adhesive procedures. However, there are still no clinical studies proving the efficacy of the treatment with high-power lasers with regard to the longevity of restorations in permanent teeth. The objective of this randomized, prospective, blinded, controlled clinical trial will be to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of non-carious cervical lesions performed with a self-etching adhesive system, in which surfaces will be pre-treated with two different techniques (Er:YAG laser irradiation or diamond bur). For the restorations, two single-step adhesive systems (Clearfil SE Bond 2/Kuraray Noritake and BeautiBond/Shofu) will be used, and the cavities will be restored with a microhybrid composite resin (Z350 XT/3M ESPE). There will be 35 restorations of each treatment, totalizing 140 cavities. The clinical effectiveness of the restorations will be determined immediately after completion of the restoration and at 3, 6, 12, and 24 months through evaluation of retention loss, marginal integrity, marginal pigmentation, presence of secondary caries lesion, and postoperative sensitivity (Modified USPHS). The Friedman test will be used to statistically analyze the rankings given for the factors that will be considered for clinical evaluation (± = 5%). (AU)