Diode laser in the treatment of dentinal hypersensitivity: A reliable approach

Aim: The purpose of this prospective clinical study was to compare the clinical efficacy of diode laser and topical 0.4% stannous fluoride (SnF2) gel in the management of dentinal hypersensitivity (DH). Materials and Methods: A total of 8 patients contributing 200 teeth with DH were enrolled in the study. The sensitive teeth were randomly allocated into 4 groups of 50 each: Group I teeth were treated with 0.4% SnF2 only; Group II with 0.4% SnF2 and diode laser irradiation in continuous, noncontact mode; Group III with diode laser only in continuous, noncontact mode; and Group IV with SnF2 and diode laser in continuous, contact mode. Pain/sensitivity was recorded using the visual analog scale before treatment, 10 min after treatment and 7, 15, and 30 days posttherapy.Results: All the groups showed significant reduction in DH. However, the use of both 0.4% SnF2 and diode laser in contact and noncontact mode showed statistically significant reduction in sensitivity (P < 0.001) when compared to SnF2 gel and diode laser alone. Conclusion: The adjunctive use of diode laser with SnF2 appears to be a promising treatment alternative in alleviating sensitivity.