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Efficacy of Er:YAG laser‐assisted direct pulp capping in permanent teeth with cariously exposed pulp: A pilot study
Author(s) -
Wang Mengchen,
Ma Lin,
Li Qian,
Yang Wendong
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
australian endodontic journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.703
H-Index - 34
eISSN - 1747-4477
pISSN - 1329-1947
DOI - 10.1111/aej.12404
Subject(s) - calcium hydroxide , pulp capping , dentistry , pulp (tooth) , molar , laser , er:yag laser , medicine , irradiation , materials science , orthodontics , chemistry , physics , nuclear physics , optics
Direct pulp capping is a minimally invasive method to preserve pulp integrity. We evaluated the treatment efficacy of Er:YAG laser irradiation combined with direct pulp capping for pulp exposure due to caries. A total of 21 patients with 22 teeth were enrolled in the conventional group (calcium hydroxide), and 24 patients with 25 teeth were enrolled in the laser‐assisted group (Er:YAG laser irradiation at settings of 10 Hz, 50 mJ; combined with calcium hydroxide). The cumulative success rate of the conventional group and the laser‐assisted group was 68.2% and 91.7% at 12 months, respectively. Results showed that the laser‐assisted procedure increased the survival time (β = 0.04, OR = 0.07), while proximal‐occlusal cavities in molars decreased the survival time (β = 0.03, OR = 12.5). Er:YAG lasers improve the effectiveness of conventional direct pulp capping (using Dycal) with limited side‐effects and can be applied clinically.