USER MANUAL Page
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Cladding
Cladding is the material on the outside of the quartz/silica fiber core that is used to
block the lateral escape of laser energy as it traverses the fiber.
During stripping, you may “nick” the cladding and you will likely see the red aiming
beam light as it escape the site of the damage. This is not a danger if all people in the
area have the appropriate safety eyewear.
The cladding will burn as protein from the gingiva accumulates on the fiber. The
build-up of protein and burning will deteriorate the tip of the optical fiber. The tip of
the optical fiber may potentially fracture if not cleaved once the blackened area has
reached 3-4 mm up the shaft of the fiber. In this case, the laser emission has to be
stopped. In the event of a fiber fracture, the laser will not emit.
Quartz/Silica Fiber
This is the core of an optical fiber which transmits the laser light. The fiber core is a
very thin and solid light pipe, normally with diameter of a few microns to several
hundred microns. The fiber is fairly flexible but can be broken very easily if it is bent
into a small circle less than 50 mm or bent to an angle less than 90 degrees.
Personal protective equipment safety eye wear is highly recommended
when stripping off the fiber optic jacket.
Note
It is a good practice to wipe off the tip during the laser procedure to avoid
accumulation of protein debris and burning of the fiber tip.
Use a water damped gauze/ sponge to clean the tip.
Do not use flammable materials like alcohol products when cleaning a hot
tip.
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