Background: It has been reported that lasers can increase resistance to enamel acids, and when it is associated with fluoride, both are reported to work in synergy, achieving a reduction of the solubility of enamel. Currently, other remineralizing agents have been shown to effectively inhibit enamel demineralization.
Objectives: The aim of the study was to evaluate acid resistance in the occlusal surface of permanent teeth, treated with remineralizing agents, erbium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Er:YAG) laser and combined treatments.
Material and methods: Eighty samples of enamel were randomly assigned to 8 groups (n = 10): a control group, and groups treated with sodium fluoride (NaF), casein phosphopeptide-amorphous calcium phosphate with NaF (CPP-ACPF), hydroxyapatite-NaF-xylitol (HA-NaF-X), Er:YAG laser (L), L+NaF, L+CPP-ACPF, and L+HA-NaF-X. The samples were placed in an acid solution and the released calcium (Ca) was quantified by atomic absorption spectrometry.
Results: In the groups treated with NaF and L+NaF, a lower loss of Ca was observed - 15.27 ±5.17 mg/L and 15.20 ±3.85 mg/L, respectively - compared to the control group, which had the highest Ca loss: 21.93 ±13.24 mg/L.
Conclusions: Although the combination of Er:YAG laser plus NaF and the single application of NaF showed values suggesting superior resistance to demineralization of dental enamel compared to all the other groups in the study, no statistically significant differences were found to support this assertion.
Keywords: acid resistance; erbium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet laser; occlusal surface; remineralizing agents.