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Influence of Er: YAG Laser, and Radachlorin-Activated Low-Level Laser Therapy on the Contact Angle, Surface Topography, and Shear Bond Strength of Lithium Disilicate Ceramics and Resin-Based Ceramics
A. Barakat1, S. AbdulRahman AlTowayan2, N.H. Shaheen1, A.M. Elmarakby1,3, K.A. Rayes1, M. Mahmood1
1 Department of Restorative and Prosthetic Dental Sciences, College of Dentistry, Dar Al Uloom University, Riyadh 13313, Saudi Arabia.
2 Assistant Professor in Restorative Dentistry, Department of Conservative Dental Sciences, College of Dentistry, Qassim University, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
3 Department of Operative Dentistry, Faculty of Dental Medicine, Al Azhar University, Assiut Branch, Egypt.
received September 2, 2025, received in revised form September 15, 2025, accepted October 5, 2025
Vol. 17, No. 1, Pages 93-100 DOI: 10.4416/JCST2025-00024
Abstract
To assess the influence of surface conditioners, i.e. hydrofluoric acid (HFA), Er: YAG laser, and Radachlorin-activated low-level laser therapy (LLLT), on the contact angle (CA), surface topography, and shear bond strength (SBS) of lithium disilicate ceramics (LDC) and resin-based ceramics (RBC). RBC Lava Ultimate (Group A) and IPS Emax (Group B) were used to obtain forty-five discs in each case. Each group was further divided into subgroups based on the conditioning protocol used. Group 1: HFA, Group 2: Er: YAG laser, and Group 3: LLLT (RD). CA (n = 2) and surface topography analysis (n = 3) were performed using a goniometer and scanning electron microscope. Resin cement was built on ten discs from each group, followed by the evaluation of the SBS by means of a universal testing apparatus. A one-way ANOVA and Tukey test were utilized to conduct a comparative analysis of CA and bond strength values. The lowest CA was exhibited by Group 1A (HFA + LDC) with the highest bond strength. Whereas Group 3B (RD-LLLT+RBC) presented the highest CA and lowest SBS. The Er: YAG laser can be considered as a suitable alternative to HFA for enhancing the contact angle and bond integrity of adhesive cement. LDC and RBC exhibited comparable contact angle and bond strength outcomes, except in the hydrofluoric acid group.
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Keywords
Hydrofluoric acid, low-level laser, Radachlorin, bond strength, laser.
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