LASER APPLICATIONS in RESTORATIVE DENTISTRY

Lasers have been used in the treatments of dental hard and soft tissues. co2 and nd:yag laser is the first used lasers to remove the dental caries and to prepare cavities . the use of laser has been proposed, for preventive treatment, cavity preparation, cavity disinfection, treatment of dentin hypersensitivity, composite photopolymerization, and dental bleaching in restorative dentistry in this rewiev. the results of the concerned articles with laser applications are rewieved. erbiuım lasers have some advantages as there is no need a local anesthesia during cavity preparation in most cases, less vibration and noise according to the conventional preparation technique and cause less irritation on pulp tissue. it is suggested to use laser with fluoride to constitute a resistance to demineralization. because of the insufficiency of classical techniques, it is stated that laser usage is effective in dentin hypersensitivity and high power lasers as nd:yag, er:yag, co2 eliminate pain with obstructing the dentin canals. photo activated disinfection (pad) can be used to disinfect deep caries lesions, root canals, periodontal pockets and implant surround. conventional halogen, led (light-emitting- diode) sources and lasers can be used to activate the tooth bleaching agents. clinicians should consider a number of factors when deciding whether to incorporate laser systems into their studies.clinicians have to consider a lot of factor to use the laser. appropriate laser systems and parameters of laser should be determined according to case. it is aimed to inform about the laser use in restorative dentistry in the recent past and the future.