Intraoral metal laser welding: a case report

The possibility of laser welding of dental prostheses offers great advantages: first, the operator has the possibility of welding on the master model, which decreases the number of passages and thus the possibility of errors and damage, and secondly, the patient attends only a few sessions, and, due to the possibility of fixing the damaged prostheses, there is no need to resort to the technician’s laboratory. In a previous study we described the experimental phases of intraoral welding, from the in vitro model on animal jaws with evaluations of the temperature variations during welding through thermal chamber and type K thermocouples. In this study we describe the intraoral welding in vivo on human subjects by using, as in the previous study, a fibre-delivered neodymium:yttrium–aluminum–garnet (Nd:YAG) laser. The in vivo phase allowed a restored prosthesis to be positioned and intraorally welded in the upper central sector with optimal results both in patient’s comfort and in aesthetic effects. This first in vivo test confirmed that the use of a laser technique for the intraoral welding of metal prostheses is possible, with no particular problems and risks for the biological structures close to the welding zone.