Investigation of laser wavelength effect on the ablation of enamel and dentin using femtosecond laser pulses

Automation in Dentistry with Mechanical Drills and Lasers for Implant Osteotomy: A Narrative-Scoping Review

The popularity of implants is increasing with the aging population requiring oral-dental rehabilitation. There are several critical steps in the implant workflow, including case selection, implant design, surgical procedure, biological tissue responses, and functional restoration. Among these steps, surgical osteotomy procedures are a crucial determinant of clinical success. This brief review was aimed at outlining the current state of the field in automation-assisted implant surgical osteotomy technologies. A broad search of the literature was performed to identify current literature. The results are outlined in three broad categories: semi-automated static (image-guided) or dynamic (navigation-assisted) systems, and fully-automated robotic systems. As well as the current mechanical rotary approaches, the literature supporting the use of lasers in further refinement of these approaches is reviewed. The advantages and limitations of adopting autonomous technologies in practical clinical dental practices are discussed. In summary, advances in clinical technologies enable improved precision and efficacious clinical outcomes with implant dentistry. Hard-tissue lasers offer further advancements in precision, improved biological responses, and favorable clinical outcomes that require further investigation.

Teeth Microcracks Research: Towards Multi-Modal Imaging

This perspective is an overview of the recent advances in teeth microcrack (MC) research, where there is a clear tendency towards a shift from two-dimensional (2D) to three-dimensional (3D) examination techniques, enhanced with artificial intelligence models for data processing and image acquisition. X-ray micro-computed tomography combined with machine learning allows 3D characterization of all spatially resolved cracks, despite the locations within the tooth in which they begin and extend, and the arrangement of MCs and their structural properties. With photoluminescence and micro-/nano-Raman spectroscopy, optical properties and chemical and elemental composition of the material can be evaluated, thus helping to assess the structural integrity of the tooth at the MC site. Approaching tooth samples having cracks from different perspectives and using complementary laboratory techniques, there is a natural progression from 3D to multi-modal imaging, where the volumetric (passive: dimensions) information of the tooth sample can be supplemented by dynamic (active: composition, interaction) image data. Revelation of tooth cracks clearly shows the need to re-assess the role of these MCs and their effect on the structural integrity and longevity of the tooth. This provides insight into the nature of cracks in natural hard materials and contributes to a better understanding of how bio-inspired structures could be designed to foresee crack propagation in biosolids.