Low-level laser therapy as an alternative for pulpotomy in human primary teeth

• Published in: Lasers in medical science Vol. 30; no. 7; pp. 1815 - 1822
• Main Authors: Marques, Nádia Carolina Teixeira, Neto, Natalino Lourenço, Rodini, Camila de Oliveira, Fernandes, Ana Paula, Sakai, Vivien Thiemy, Machado, Maria Aparecida Andrade Moreira, Oliveira, Thais Marchini
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Springer London 01.09.2015; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Calcium hydroxide; Child; Dental Caries - radiotherapy; Dental Cavity Preparation; Dental Pulp - radiation effects; Dentistry; Female; Human; Humans; Hydroxides; Laser surgery; Lasers; Low-Level Light Therapy; Male; Medical science; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Molar - pathology; Molar - radiation effects; Optical Devices; Optics; Original Article; Photonics; Pulpotomy; Quantum Optics; Slaked lime; Surgical outcomes; Teeth; Therapy; Tooth, Deciduous - pathology; Tooth, Deciduous - radiation effects; Treatment Outcome; Tooth deciduous; Pulpotomy; Laser therapy low level; Calcium hydroxide; Dental pulp
• ISSN: 0268-8921; 1435-604X
• DOI: 10.1007/s10103-014-1656-7

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) on pulpal response of primary teeth. Twenty mandibular primary molars were randomly divided into the following groups: group I Buckley’s formocresol (diluted at 1:5), group II calcium hydroxide, group III LLLT + zinc oxide/eugenol, and group IV LLLT + calcium hydroxide. LLLT parameters were set at 660-nm wavelength, 10-mW power output, and 2.5 J/cm 2 energy density for 10 s in continuous mode (InGaAlP laser, Twin Laser®, MMOptics, Sao Carlos, Sao Paulo, Brazil). The teeth were extracted at the regular exfoliation period. The dentin-pulp complex was graded by an established histopathological score system. Statistical analysis was performed by Kruskal-Wallis and chi-square test. The histopathological assessment revealed statistically significant differences among groups ( P  < 0.05). The lowest degree of pulpal inflammation was present in LLLT + calcium hydroxide ( P  = 0.0296). Calcium hydroxide showed the highest rate of hard tissue barrier ( P  = 0.0033), odontoblastic layer ( P  = 0.0033), and dense collagen fibers ( P  = 0.0095). On the other hand, formocresol showed the highest incidence of internal resorption ( P  = 0.0142). Based on this study, low-level laser therapy preceding the use of calcium hydroxide exhibited satisfactory results on pulp tissue healing. However, further clinical studies on human teeth with long-term follow-up are needed to test the low-level laser therapy efficacy.