Laser treatment of deciduous teeth

Abstract

The use of lasers in the treatment of infants and children, including patients with special needs, is considered to be effective in restor- ative procedures and soft tissue therapy. The use of different types of lasers in the therapy of individual tissues depends on the way the tissues interact with laser light and the desired effect for the purpose of treatment. Laser therapy has a positive antimicrobial effect and has a beneficial effect on enamel mineralization. Nd: YAG laser increases the resistance of enamel to demineralization which makes it a valuable therapeutic option in combination with tooth fluoridation. Lasers can be used in a wide range of vital and avital preparations of deciduous teeth pulp including pulp cuping, pulpotomy and pulpectomy. The use of lasers in dentistry is of particular importance in working with children. Lasers enable minimally invasive preparation of hard dental tissues with their preci- sion and selectivity. They also pose a lower risk of thermal tissue injuries during preparation compared to classical preparation tech- niques. Due to less contact between the therapeutic aid and tissue, pain and vibration during preparation are reduced. This achieves better patient compliance due to reduced dental anxiety and phobia in children. Greater patient comfort was achieved by the anal- gesic effect of erbium laser, due to the elimination of the need to use local anesthetics during the procedure. This paper presents a clinical study conducted on 120 patients aged 5 - 8 years. The participants were divided into two groups in which traditional pulpotomy and diode laser pulpotomy procedures were performed. The results of this study confirmed the clinical value of the use of diode lasers in pediatric and preventive dentistry.