Erbium Dental Laser

Erbium lasers remove decayed tooth structure and prepare a cavity before restoration. The approach has also been studied in pediatric dentistry.

Caries removal generally takes longer with an erbium laser than with drilling, making treatment time its clearest reported trade-off.

Drilling was faster in the reviewed studies. Erbium treatment reduced local anaesthetic use, while restoration loss, pulpal vitality and postoperative sensitivity showed no significant difference in the meta-analysis.

In studies of children, erbium treatment was associated with less procedural pain, better comfort, lower anxiety indicators and greater acceptance than rotary preparation.

For up to 12 months, restoration performance was comparable between laser-prepared and bur-prepared cavities, with no consistent laser disadvantage reported.