EFFICACY AND PATIENT-CENTERED OUTCOMES OF LASER-ASSISTED CAVITY PREPARATION IN MINIMALLY INVASIVE DENTISTRY: A COMPARATIVE STUDY

Background: Minimally invasive dentistry benefits from advanced cavity preparation methods. This study examined the effectiveness and patient outcomes of cavity preparation using two lasers: diode lasers and Er: YAG lasers. Materials and Methods: Two equal groups of sixty extracted human premolars and molars with dentin involvement and occlusal caries were randomly assigned. An Er: YAG laser (2940 nm, 200 mJ, 20 Hz, water-cooled) prepared the cavities in Group A, while a diode laser (940 nm, 2.5 W pulsed, no water cooling) was used in Group B. The Munshi grading system was used to score the caries removal visually, tactilely, and with caries detector dye under stereomicroscopy. Preparation time was measured. Patients were asked to self-report their comfort and discomfort levels. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data. Results: Compared to the diode group (143.6 ± 16.9 seconds, p<0.001), the Er: YAG laser group showed a significantly reduced mean preparation time (112.4 ± 14.7 seconds). Compared to 50% in the diode group, 73.3% of Er: YAG-treated teeth had complete caries eradication (Munshi score 0) (p=0.041). Er: YAG laser therapy also resulted in less local anesthetic administration, better patient comfort, and lower pain scores. Conclusion: In this in-vitro model, YAG laser cavity preparation demonstrated higher patient acceptability, efficiency, and efficacy than diode laser preparation. When it comes to minimally invasive dental hard tissue treatment, it is a promising first-choice method. Long-term follow-up investigations and more clinical testing are recommended to validate these findings.