[The effect of erbium laser pretreatment on bond strength between dentin and enamel and microleakage at the edge of CAD/CAM glass ionomer cement restorations for repairing tooth defects].

Purpose: To investigate the effects of erbium laser pretreatment on the bond strength of dentin and enamel,as well as microleakage at the edge of tooth defects repaired with computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-assisted manufacturing (CAM) glass-ceramic restorations for repairing dental defects.

Methods: A total of 62 fresh, nondecayed, nondiscoloration and noncracked wisdom teeth were collected from the Oral Surgery Clinic between January 2020 and January 2023. According to different pretreatment methods, they were randomly divided into two groups, erbium laser group and phosphoric acid group, with 31 teeth in each group. Each group was further divided into two subsets for bond strength testing (16 teeth) and microleakage testing (15 teeth).The shear bond strength between enamel and dentin of both groups was compared, as well as the degree and distribution of microleakage.Statistical analysis was performed with SPSS 17.0 software package.

Results: The shear bond strength between enamel and dentin of the erbium laser group was significantly higher than that of the phosphoric acid group (P＜0.05); the degree and distribution of microleakage at the lateral walls and gumline of the erbium laser group were significantly lower than those of the phosphoric acid group (P＜0.05). The scores of microleakage at the lateral walls of the erbium laser group mainly concentrated in grade 1 and 2, whereas those of the phosphoric acid group mainly concentrated in grade 2. There was significant difference in the distribution of lateral wall microleakage scores between the two groups (P＜0.05). The scores of microleakage at the gumline of the erbium laser group mainly concentrated in grade 1 and 2, whereas those of the phosphoric acid group mainly concentrated in grade 2 and 3. There was significant difference in the distribution of gumline microleakage scores between the two groups (P＜0.05).

Conclusions: Erbium laser pretreatment can improve bonding strength between glass ionomer cement and dentin and enamel, reduce microleakage at the edge of CAD/CAM glass ionomer cement restorations, and enhance marginal fit.