LASER Assisted Pain Reduction after Vital Pulp Therapy

Objectives: Preservation of the pulp vitality is essential to increase the pulp life and the tooth surveillance. After involvement of pulp during advanced caries or trauma accidents, many different pulp therapies may be chosen based on the pulp condition. Nowadays a novel material called CEM (calcium enrichment material) cement is used in Iran for vital pulp therapy. In some cases with vital pulp therapy using the CEM cement (for example in the partial pulpotomy), sometimes the patient experiences pain and needs to take OTC (over the counter) medication for pain relief. Low-level laser has pain reduction effect and seems to be an effective method to control pain in patients with vital pulp therapy, particularly partial pulpotomy.

Methods: After collecting medical and dental history data and also clinical examination, 20 molar and premolar teeth were allocated randomly in laser and non-laser groups. For patients who had to receive VPT, the standard procedure was done, but in laser group, after creation of clot and control of bleeding, low-level laser (diode laser 980 nm, 2j) was irradiated through the pulp chamber or pulp horn orifice in non-contact mode and finally, pulp dressing with CEM cement and permanent filling were done. Patient's discomfort based on visual analogue scale (VAS) method and based on need to take any medication (OTC) was measured for the same day and a day after. SPSS software was used for statistical analysis.

Results: The results of this study showed that pain reduction in laser group was significantly (P=0.00) better than non-laser group the same day and a day after (P=0.04).

Conclusions: Low-level laser therapy can be used for pain reduction in patients' VPT to remove any OTC pain relief medication.