Various Tip Applications and Temperature Changes of Er,Cr:YSGG-Laser Irradiated Implants In Vitro.

The impact of the laser tip on implant temperature when irradiating implants with lasers to treat peri-implantitis has received little attention. The present study was designed to assess the influence of two laser tips (sapphire chisel [MC3] and radial firing perio [RFP]) on temperature change of an implant irradiated with an Er,Cr:YSGG laser in vitro under various operational conditions. The results suggest that Er,Cr:YSGG irradiation using either tip with supplemental cooling can be a thermally safe approach to implant decontamination. However, use of the RFP tip consistently resulted in a greater temperature rise. The MC3 tip thus may be preferable to the RFP tip for open-flap implant debridement.