Optodynamic studies of Er:YAG laser induced microexplosions in dentin

Er:YAG laser drilling of dental tissue has been investigated as the typical optodynamic process. Optoacoustic signals were detected by microphone and analyzed within the frame of linear systems theory to monitor laser induced microexplosions. Statistical distribution of the optodynamic efficiency was performed in terms of partial weights of optoacoustic response function. The results indicate that the laser spikes shorter than 2 μs are more efficient in ablative mechanism.