Effect of Er,Cr:YSGG Sub-Ablative Laser Irradiation on Fissure Caries Prevention in Permanent Molars

The irradiations will be done with an Er,Cr:YSGG laser device Er,Cr:YSGG Laser (Waterlase iPlus 2011,Biolase,Germany). This equipment emits photons at a wavelength of 2.78 µm. The repetition rate will be fixed at 20 Hz. The pulse duration will be fixed on 140 µs. The beam diameter at the focal area for the handpiece will be 600 µm. The tip will be positioned 1.0 mm from the enamel surface (focused mode). The handpiece will be positioned perpendicularly to the enamel. Power =0.25 Watt; energy density per pulse will be 62.5 J/cm2, Time = 20 seconds; Frequency = 20 Hz; without air/water. To ensure that each spot of a fissure was irradiated, each fissure will be irradiated for 2 min with overlapping irradiation

"The first permanent molar assigned for control group will receive fluoride varnish applications. Fluoride varnish will be applied to all teeth in the oral cavity, including the laser-treated as well as the control tooth at baseline and the 6-month recall.~Parents and children will be given age-appropriate oral hygiene instructions including proper teeth brushing with a 1100-ppm fluoride-containing dentifrice for at least 2 min twice daily especially before bedtime, as well as flossing if indicated."