Abstract
The boundary element method is well adjusted to the numerical resolution of thermal diffusion problems existing in complex volumes such as teeth. This technique is used to determine the temperatures in the bulk and on the surface of a tooth illuminated by a CO2 laser beam. The parameters taken into account in calculations include power absorbed by the tooth, laser irradiation time, and diameter of the beam on the tooth. In each case, a very fast and short heating period is observed on the tooth surface; then, the temperature decreases slowly. Inside the tooth, temperature variations are small or nonexistent. Temperature increases due to a laser beam remain concentrated at the impact region. Results are in reasonable agreement with experimental results.
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