The effect of different laser irradiation on rugometric and microtopographic features in zirconia ceramics: Study of surface statistical metrics

The purpose of this in-vitro study is to evaluate and compare the effects of different laser irradiation routines to the surface morphology of zirconia-based ceramics. Sample prepared by a copy milling technique were irradiated using Nd-YAG, Er-YAG, and CO2 infrared lasers. Surface topography of the samples was studied by means of AFM and SEM methods, and changes in their spatial characteristics were analyzed comparing statistical and fractal parameters. Depending on the absorption of incident energy, CO2 laser was found to exert dominant influence on the surface geometry concerning changes in the surface texture, roughness and fractality of the specimens.