This study has been focused on a comparison between the shear bond strength of a composite resin attached to dental enamel surface, after a 35% phosphoric acid etching and after a Nd:YAG laser irradiation with 165.8 J/cm2 of energy density per pulse. After etching and attaching resin to these surfaces, the specimens were thermocycled and then underwent the shearing bond strength tests at a speed of 5 mm/min. The results achieved, after statistical analysis with Student's t-test, showed that the adhesion was significantly greater in the 35% phosphoric acid treated group than in the group treated with the Nd:YAG laser, thus demonstrating the need for developing new studies to reach the ideal parameters for an effective enamel surface conditioning as well as specific adhesives and composite resins when Nd:YAG laser is used
Lasers; Phosphoric acids; Dental enamel; Acid etching, dental