Objective: The aim of this retrospective study was to investigate the effect of photobiomodulation therapy on postoperative pain provoked by thermal stimulation in direct pulp capping. Subject and methods: A retrospective study was performed using the records of patients who received direct pulp capping using mineral trioxide aggregate. Teeth irradiated with a laser were assigned as the photobiomodulation therapy group and non-irradiated teeth were considered as the control group. Before treatment and 6 hours, 1 day and 7 days after treatment, tooth sensitivity to a cold stimulus was recorded using a visual analog scale. Results: From a total of 123 documented direct pulp capping procedures, only 72 directly capped permanent teeth met the inclusion criteria. Age, gender, and tooth location were comparable between the groups. A statistically significant difference was found in sensitivity to cold stimulus between groups on day 7 (p=.007), but no difference was found at the preoperative, 6 hour, and day 1 time points (p=.055, p=.132, p=.100, respectively). In the intragroup evaluation, a significantly greater decrease was detected in the photobiomodulation therapy group compared to the control group, although both groups showed a reduction in discomfort throughout the follow-up period (p=.000). Conclusion: Photobiomodulation therapy is an effective method for enhancing patient comfort by reducing thermal sensitivity following direct pulp capping procedures.
Effect of Photobiomodulation Therapy Following Direct Pulp Capping on Postoperative Sensitivity by Thermal Stimulus: A Retrospective Study
