Evaluation of laser treatment on reline-base composites

Abstract

The effects of different laser treatments on some mechanical properties of acrylic resin and soft liner were investigated. A total of 60 test specimens were fabricated according to test requirements. The specimens were roughened with Potassium-ticanyl-Phosphate (KTP), Er:YAG, and Nd:YAG lasers before application of soft liner. The flexural, peel, and tensile bond strengths were measured using a universal testing machine. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy with attenuated total reflectance (FTIR-ATR) spectra of surfaces were also obtained to evaluate changes on the lased surfaces. No significant difference was apparent between the tensile bond strength values of the groups. Although peel strength values obtained for each of the laser types were lower than those of the control group, flexural strength values were higher than those of the control specimens. The spectra of specimens showed that lasing led to some chemical changes on the resin surfaces. Physical changes on the treated surfaces were visualized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis. Results of this study suggest that such treatments may be warranted because of the increase in flexural strength.