Histologic effects of a thermally cooled Nd: YAG laser on the dental pulp and supporting structures of rabbit teeth.

The histologic response of the pulp, periapical tissues, supporting periodontal ligament, and alveolar bone adjacent to the incisor teeth of adult rabbits was compared after laser treatment (etching) or drilling with a high-speed dental rotary handpiece (enamelplasty) on the buccal enamel surface. Observations were made at four time periods, 2 days, 14 days, 60 days, and 180 days after treatment. Block sections were removed, and serial sections were prepared and examined by an independent veterinary pathologist for occurrences of histopathologic changes with untreated control teeth used for comparison. Under the conditions of this study, there were no differences between either the laser-treated or the drilled specimens compared with the untreated control teeth on the basis of the histologic appearance.