System and methods for preventative dental hard tissue treatment with a laser

A system for treating a dental hard tissue to resist acid dissolution, the system comprising:

• a laser source for generating a plurality of pulses of a laser beam;
• and
• a beam guidance system adapted to:
• (i) direct a first laser pulse of the laser beam generated by the laser source to an initial location within a treatment region of the dental hard tissue, such that a surface temperature of the initial location is raised from an initial surface temperature to a raised surface temperature during the first laser pulse, the raised temperature being below an upper temperature threshold defined as a minimum temperature that causes a surface modification of the dental hard tissue, wherein surface modification comprises each of melting and ablation;
• (ii) thereafter, direct one or more intermediate laser pulses of the laser beam generated by the laser source to one or more intermediate locations within the treatment region;
• and
• (iii) after (i) and (ii), direct another laser pulse of the laser beam to the initial location, after a cooling-off period during which cooling of the initial location causes a difference between the surface temperature and the initial surface temperature to be less than or equal to 50% of the raised temperature.

A system for treating a dental hard tissue to resist acid dissolution, the system comprising:

• a laser source for generating at least one pulse of a laser beam;
• at least one optic in optical communication with the laser source, the at least one optic adapted to define laser beam width and focus the laser beam at or near a surface of the dental hard tissue;
• a controller adapted to control pulse energy based on the defined beam width, such that the laser beam pulse has a fluence profile at a focus having a maximum local fluence less than an upper threshold fluence, the upper threshold fluence defined as a minimum fluence that causes a surface modification of the dental hard tissue, wherein surface modification comprises each of melting and ablation;
• and
• a post-treatment delivery system adapted to apply a post-treatment solution to the dental hard tissue after the laser beam has been focused at or near the surface of the dental hard tissue, the post-treatment solution comprising at least one of hydrogen peroxide, fluoride, chitosan, xylitol, calcium, and phosphate.