# Comparative Efficacy of Er:YAG Laser and Dental Turbine in Pediatric Dentistry: A Systematic Review

## TL;DR

This review compares Er:YAG lasers and dental turbines for treating cavities in children, finding lasers reduce pain and anxiety but take longer.

## Contribution

The study systematically evaluates erbium lasers versus conventional tools in pediatric dentistry, focusing on patient comfort and restorative outcomes.

## Key findings

- Er:YAG lasers reduce intraoperative pain and anxiety in children compared to dental turbines.
- Laser treatment increases child acceptance and reduces the need for local anesthesia.
- Restorative outcomes for laser-prepared cavities are comparable to bur-prepared ones in the short term.

## Abstract

Aim: This systematic review compared erbium lasers (Er:YAG/Er,Cr:YSGG) with conventional rotary instruments (dental turbine/high-speed handpiece) for caries removal and cavity preparation in pediatric dentistry, focusing on patient-centered outcomes and short-term restorative performance. Methods: Following PRISMA guidance, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched for studies published between January 2010 and November 2025. Eligible studies were in vivo/human investigations in children with carious primary teeth comparing erbium laser versus rotary instrumentation. Results: Eleven studies met the inclusion criteria. Across the included trials, erbium laser treatment was consistently associated with reduced intraoperative pain and improved comfort, often accompanied by lower anxiety indicators and higher child acceptance compared with rotary preparation. Several studies also reported a reduced need for local anesthesia in the laser group. In contrast, operative time was generally longer with erbium lasers than with turbines. When restorations were evaluated, clinical performance and short-term success (up to 12 months) were comparable between laser- and bur-prepared cavities, with no consistent disadvantages observed for laser preparation. Conclusions: Overall, erbium lasers appear to be a clinically effective and child-friendly alternative to conventional turbines, offering superior patient comfort while maintaining comparable short-term restorative outcomes, albeit at the cost of longer procedure duration.