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Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the scanning electron microscopic (SEM) morphology of root canal walls instrumented manually and mechanically with and without the application of Er:YAG laser., Methods: Single-rooted, human, extracted teeth were cut at the cementoenamel junction. The teeth were divided into four groups: teeth that were simply instrumented manually, those that were instrumented manually and laser treated, a group that was mechanically instrumented, and a fourth in which the teeth were mechanically instrumented and laser treated. After instrumentation, the teeth were split longitudinally to facilitate their evaluation by SEM., Results: The results show that the use of the Er:YAG laser is effective in removing the smear layer from root canal walls., Conclusions: The removal of the smear layer is essential to the success of endodontic treatment; the use of the Er:YAG laser combined with rotary and manual techniques improves the cleanliness of root canals.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to use scanning electron microscopy (SEM) in order to compare the surfaces of cavities prepared using laser with those prepared conventionally, and to measure the degree of leakage through both enamel and cementum., Materials and Methods: We prepared 135 class V cavities and divided them randomly into three groups: laser-treated (group A), laser-treated, and acid-etched (group B) and rotary instrumented (group C)., Results: On analyzing the tooth enamel, the amount of leakage was found to be similar in groups A and B, whilst the samples in the group C were more prone to leakage. On analyzing the cementum, the group C samples appeared to display surfaces that were more conducive to the adhesion of the materials used in obturation (although this difference was not strictly significant), and this might have provoked the relatively low levels of leakage., Conclusion: The use of acid etching in conjunction with both conventional and laser cavity preparation improves the adhesion of the materials used in obturation to enamel surfaces.