Surface alterations of zirconia and titanium substrates after Er,Cr:YSGG irradiation

This study investigated changes in the roughness parameters (Sa in μm² and Ra in μm) of yttrium-stabilized tetragonal zirconia polycrystal (Y-TZP) and large-grit sandblasted acid-etched (SLA) titanium (TI) materials after decontamination by erbium chromium-doped:yttrium, scandium, gallium, and garnet (Er,Cr:YSGG) laser irradiation. Twenty disks were analyzed in this study: 10 disks of Y-TZP (5 mm in diameter and 3 mm in height), standardized with CAD–CAM procedures, and 10 disks of SLA TI (5 mm in diameter and 4 mm in thickness). Disks were randomized into four groups (n = 5), according to whether laser irradiation was performed: Y-TZP_G1 and TI_G1 were not treated by laser (control groups), whereas Y-TZP_G2 and TI_G2 were irradiated with Er,Cr:YSGG laser (1.5 W/20 Hz, air–water cooling proportion of 80 %/25 %). The surface topography of the disks was analyzed by confocal light microscopy. The mean Sa and Ra values were calculated from five profiles from each group. The results were statistically analyzed by t-test at the 95 % confidence level (α = 0.05). For Y-TZP, the Sa results (in mean ± SD) for Y-TZP_G1 and Y-TZP_G2 were 2.60 ± 1.1 and 0.80 ± 0.17 μm², respectively, and the Ra results were 2.01 ± 0.71 and 0.18 ± 0.15 μm, respectively (both p < .05). For SLA TI, the Sa results for TI_G1 and TI_G2 were 1.99 ± 0.5 and 3.37 ± 0.75 μm², respectively, and the Ra results were 1.78 ± 0.53 and 3.84 ± 0.63 μm, respectively (both p < .05). Er,Cr:YSGG laser irradiation alters the surface roughness of zirconia and SLA TI.