Cavitation bubbles induced by Erbium lasers: implications for dentistry

With new fiber systems available for 3 μm, Erbium lasers become more interesting for precise tissue ablation in a water environment enabling new application in e.g. dentistry. The dynamics of explosive bubble formation was investigated at 2.78 μm (Er,Cr;YSGG) and 2.94 μm (Er:YAG), in relation to energy (10-50 mJ), pulse length (20-150 μs) and fiber tip shape (flat or taper). The dynamics of exploding and imploding vapor bubbles were captured with high speed imaging (10 - 300 μs range). Increasing the pulse length and energy, the vapor bubble became more elongated with an opaque surface for flat tip fibers. Tapered fibers produced spherical vapor bubbles with an optically transparent surface expected to be more forceful for creating mechanical effects in both hard and soft tissues. There was no significant difference between bubbles formed at 2.78 μm (Er,Cr;YSGG) and 2.94 μm (Er:YAG).