Selective removal of caries lesions with high precision is best accomplished using
lasers operating at high pulse repetition rates utilizing small spot sizes. Conventional flash-lamp pumped
Er:YAG lasers are poorly suited for this purpose, but new diode-pumped
Er:YAG lasers have become available operating at high pulse repetition rates. The purpose of this study was to measure the ablation rate and selectivity of sound and demineralized enamel and dentin for a 30 W diode-pumped
Er:YAG laser operating with a pulse duration of 20-30-μs and evaluate it's potential for the selective removal of natural occlusal lesions on extracted teeth. Microradiography was used to determine the
mineral content of the demineralized enamel and dentin of 300-μm thick sections with natural caries lesions prior to
laser ablation. The ablation rate was calculated for varying
mineral content. In addition, near-IR reflectance measurements at 1500-1700-nm were used to guide the
laser for the selective ablation of natural occlusal caries lesions on extracted teeth.