Introduction: The basis of successful root canal therapy is the reduction of microorganisms. The aim of this in vitro study was to compare the antibacterial effect of three different irrigation methods with two laser wavelengths on Enterococcus faecalis biofilm. Methods: Ninety-five single-canal teeth were prepared, sterilized, and divided randomly into a negative control, a positive control, and five test groups. They were inoculated with the standard strain of E. faecalis. The test groups were conventional irrigation (group 1), Passive ultrasonic irrigation (group 2), Gentle file finisher brush (group 3), 810 nm diode laser (group 4), and 980 nm diode laser (group 5). Microbial sampling, cultivation, and colony counting were done. Data were analyzed with the Kruskal-Wallis test and a negative binomial regression model. Results: There was a significant difference in the colony count between the groups (P<0.001). the 810 nm diode had the highest and the conventional irrigation group had the lowest reduction in the microbial load. Passive ultrasonic, 980 nm diode laser, and Gentle file finisher brush groups were also ranked respectively from the highest to the lowest in terms of decreasing effect on the number of colonies. Conclusion: The 810 nm diode laser and conventional irrigation were respectively the most and the least effective methods for reducing the number of E. faecalis colonies.

OBJECTIVE: Bone marrow cells contain nonhematopoietic cells with the ability to differentiate into osteogenic, chondrogenic, and adipogenic lineages. Mechanical stress influences osteoblast differentiation of bone marrow cells into osteogenic, chondrogenic, and adipogenic lineages, measurable as the abundance of alkaline phosphatase-positive (ALP+) colony-forming unit-fibroblasts (CFU-F); however, the effect of diode laser irradiation on osteoblast differentiation is unknown. The aim of this study was to analyze the effects of photobiomodulation on the osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells in the bone marrow, using the CFU-F assay.
METHODS: Bone marrow cells isolated from rat tibiae were cultured and irradiated with a diode laser (wavelength 808 nm) at a total energy of 0 J (control), 50 J, and 150 J.
RESULTS: On day 7 after irradiation, ALP+ CFU-F were most abundant in the 50 J group and the least abundant in the 150 J group. Mineralized nodule formation was observed after long-term culture (21 days). Compared with the control group, there were significantly more nodules in the 50 J group and significantly fewer nodules in the 150 J group. Osteocalcin mRNA expression was highest in the 50 J group, and there was no difference between the control and 150 J groups.
CONCLUSIONS: Irradiation with 50 J was effective in stimulating osteogenesis in bone marrow stem cells. These findings suggest that diode laser irradiation can induce osteogenesis in rat bone marrow cells in an energy-dependent manner, and appears suitable for application in bone regeneration therapy.

UNASSIGNED: The aim of the present study was to compare the clinical and radiographic success of amniotic membrane derivative (AMD), chitosan with mineral trioxide aggregate (C-MTA), diode laser (DL), and ferric sulfate (FS) as pulpotomy agents in human primary molars.
UNASSIGNED: In this present study, pulpotomies were performed on 48 primary molars in 30 children aged between 4 and 8 years (12 teeth in each group). Following the pulpotomy procedure, teeth were evaluated clinically and radiographically at 1st, 3rd, 6th, and 9 monthly intervals.
UNASSIGNED: After 9 months of follow-up, the clinical success was 91.6% for AMD and C-MTA and 83.3% for DL and FS. Radiographic success was 91.6, 91.6, 75, and 83.3% for AMD, C-MTA, DL, and FS groups, respectively. There is no statistically significant difference between the four groups (p > 0.05).
UNASSIGNED: Results of our study showed that both AMD and C-MTA were equally successful compared to traditional agents like laser and ferric sulfate as pulpotomy agents.
UNASSIGNED: Amniotic membrane derivative (AMD) and C-MTA are alternative biomimetic pulpotomy agents that can be used in pediatric primary tooth pulpotomies.
UNASSIGNED: Lahoti VC, Lahoti P, Gundreddy LM, et al. Comparative Evaluation of Amniotic Membrane Derivative, Chitosan with Mineral Trioxide Aggregate, Diode Laser, and Ferric Sulfate as Pulpotomy Agents in Human Primary Molars: An In Vivo Study. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2024;17(2):153-157.

OBJECTIVE: This bibliometric and scientometric analysis aimed to delve into the forefront roles of lasers in endodontics from 1990 to 2024.
METHODS: A comprehensive electronic search was conducted using \"Clarivate Analytics Web of Science, All Databases\" to retrieve the most-cited articles pertaining to the topic. These articles were then ranked in descending order according to their citation counts and the top 100 were selected for further analysis. Parameters including citation density, publication year, journal, journal impact factor (IF), country, institution, author, study design, study field, evidence level, laser type, and keywords were meticulously analyzed.
RESULTS: The mean and standard deviations of total citation and citation density were 106.47 ± 65.76 and 7.61 ± 5.13, respectively. Positive and negative correlations were found between the number of citations and citation density and age of publication. While the mean number of citations was significantly higher in the period 2001-2010 compared to the other periods (P < 0.05), values were similar between the periods 1990-2000 and 2011-2014 (P > 0.05). Articles were mainly published in the Journal of Endodontics. The most productive country, institutions, and author were the United States, the University of Showa, and Koukichi Matsumoto. Diode and Er: YAG lasers were commonly investigated. Ex vivo studies were mainly performed followed by in vitro ones. The main study field was \"antimicrobial effect\". Among keywords, \"photodynamic therapy\" was used more frequently.
CONCLUSIONS: Lasers are predominantly utilized to leverage their antimicrobial efficacy. Advancements in technology will lead to improvements in the properties of lasers, thereby enhancing the disinfection of the root canal system.

Oral candidiasis is a common problem among immunocompetent patients. The frequent resistance of Candida strains to popular antimycotics makes it necessary to look for alternative methods of treatment. The authors conducted a systematic review following the PRISMA 2020 guidelines. The objective of this review was to determine if curcumin-mediated blue light could be considered as an alternative treatment for oral candidiasis. PubMed, Google Scholar, and Cochrane Library databases were searched using a combination of the following keywords: (Candida OR candidiasis oral OR candidiasis oral OR denture stomatitis) AND (curcumin OR photodynamic therapy OR apt OR photodynamic antimicrobial chemotherapy OR PACT OR photodynamic inactivation OR PDI). The review included in vitro laboratory studies with Candida spp., in vivo animal studies, and randomized control trials (RCTs) involving patients with oral candidiasis or prosthetic stomatitis, published only in English. The method of elimination of Candida species in the studies was curcumin-mediated aPDT. A total of 757 studies were identified. Following the analysis of the titles and abstracts of the studies, only 42 studies were selected for in-depth screening, after which 26 were included in this study. All studies evaluated the antifungal efficacy of curcumin-mediated aPDT against C. albicans and non-albicans Candida. In studies conducted with planktonic cells solutions, seven studies demonstrated complete elimination of Candida spp. cells. The remaining studies demonstrated only partial elimination. In all cases, experiments on single-species yeast biofilms demonstrated partial, statistically significant inhibition of cell growth and reduction in biofilm mass. In vivo, curcumin-mediated aPDT has shown good antifungal activity against oral candidiasis also in an animal model. However, its clinical efficacy as a potent therapeutic strategy for oral candidiasis requires few further RCTs.

The aim of the study was to measure the degree of dentine surface roughness caused by five distinct lasers used to treat dentine hypersensitivity, as well as to evaluate the subsequent bacterial colonization on these irradiated surfaces. Sixty human maxillary premolar teeth without caries or restoration which were extracted for periodontal reasons were used in this study. Five different types of lasers were applied to the root dentin surface. Tested samples were divided into six groups of 10 samples each; control, diode (810 nm), diode (980 nm), Nd: YAG, Er: YAG, and Er, Cr: YSGG laser groups. The arithmetic mean of the surface roughness values (Ra) and the average roughness over a measurement area (Sa) were measured pre- and post-application using any of the laser types. Swab samples were then collected from the dentin surface. Following a 24-hour incubation period at 37 °C, the colony forming units were counted using a stereoscope. The results demonstrated a statistically significant difference in the surface roughness values pre- and post-application (Ra and Sa, respectively) in the Er, Cr: YSGG laser group (p = 0.037,p = 0.007). No significant difference was observed in the other groups (p > 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in the number of bacterial colonies observed between the test and control groups. Diode and Nd: YAG lasers showed either a decrease or no change in surface roughness; however, the hard tissue lasers (Er: YAG, Er, Cr: YSGG) showed an increase. The Er: YAG and Nd: YAG laser groups exhibited decreased bacterial adhesion compared to the other groups.

OBJECTIVE: To assess both the clinical and immunological effectiveness of diode laser therapy when used as an adjunct to non-surgical mechanical therapy in managing peri-implantitis.
METHODS: A cohort of 27 participants, comprising 21 females and 6 males, agreed to take part in this investigation. 37 dental implants with peri-implantitis diagnosis were randomly allocated to either the laser group (n = 19) or the control group (n = 18). Evaluation of peri-implant clinical parameters and collection peri-implant crevicular fluid (PICF) samples occurred at baseline, as well as at 3 and 6-month follow-up intervals. The level of various biomarkers (TWEAK, IL-1β, sclerostin, IL-17, RANKL, OPG and IL-10) within the PICF were quantified using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.
RESULTS: Significant time-dependent decreases in clinical and biochemical parameters were detected in both groups compared to the baseline. There were marked differences between the groups in terms of periodontal parameters, except probing depth, and IL-1β, IL-17, sclerostin levels in PICF at 3rd month follow-up. However, no statistically significant difference was detected at 6th month.
CONCLUSIONS: Diode laser seems to be a reliable tool as an adjunct for supporting the nonsurgical mechanical treatment during the early stages of peri-implantitis. Furthermore, the findings suggest that IL-17, sclerostin and IL-1β may serve as promising biomarkers for assessing efficacy of peri-implantitis treatment.
CONCLUSIONS: Based on these outcomes, clinicians may consider the application of adjunctive use of diode laser to non-surgical peri-implantitis treatment to achieve better clinical and immunological improvements than nonsurgical peri-implantitis therapy alone in just early healing period. However, it should be noted that there was no difference between the two methods in the long term.

Maxillary labial frenectomy is a surgical procedure aimed at addressing midline diastema, where a strip of tissue creating a gap between two upper front teeth is removed. Typically, this strip extends from the vestibule of the gingivobuccal sulcus to the attached gingiva. The procedure is often performed using a diode laser, offering benefits including simplicity and safety for the patients. It can remarkably improve overall aesthetics and decrease the chances of gingival recession. This case report highlights the successful management of a female patient who arrived complaining of double frenum attachment leading to poor musculature support due to which she experiences poor aesthetics and hampered oral hygiene maintenance.

Median diastema is a physiological occurrence that is frequently seen in the maxillary jaw. Therefore, a median diastema has been associated with a wide range of etiological variables, including thumb sucking, supernumerary teeth, tongue thrusting, some dentoalveolar discrepancy, and hypodontia. Patient esthetic and function demands are both negated by the labial frenum\'s abnormal location in relation to the maxillary anterior teeth, which results in diastema and gingival recession. Lasers are now being used in several fields of dentistry as an alternative to conventional scalpel operations. Frenectomy can be done through the use of electrosurgery, laser surgery, or the classic scalpel technique. This pathological frenum can be very well excised with a diode laser. Due to its applicability, sufficient coagulation, lack of suture requirements, and reduced discomfort and inflammation, the diode laser can be utilized in pediatric dentistry. High-connected midline diastema has remained a subject of debate when it comes to management and the right time to intervene and treat it. Both orthodontists and pediatric dentists agree that frenectomy should not be done after the closure of the orthodontist gap or before the appearance of the permanent canine teeth. However, several conditions, including the child\'s psychological status, parents\' concerns, the closure\'s unpredictable effects on the future, and the expense of combined therapies, may lead to an early intervention for therapy during the primary or mixed dentition. In this specific scenario, a child who was eight years old underwent a diode laser frenectomy. After seven days, a follow-up examination showed normal position and attachment of the frenum and no signs of infection at the site of surgery.

During the first several weeks following lactation, nipple pain frequently prevents mothers from continuing breastfeeding. To evaluate the efficacy of using Photobiomodulation (PBM) versus anti-inflammatory topical cream, on inflamed nipple, and the effect on milk production. This study was carried-out on 50 breastfeeding women with nipple pain and fissure. Our patients were divided into two groups ; study group (Group I): 25 patients received 12 sessions of PBM using Diode laser for a period of 4 weeks, 3 sessions per week every alternative day, and controlled group (Group II): 25 patients used Anti-inflammatory topical cream. Regarding inflammatory signs in both groups, Group I showed a significant decrease in redness compared to Group II at the 3rd and 4th week, and a significant decrease in nipple fissure and pain at the 3rd week. There was a significant increase in milk amount reflected on the infant\'s weight. We concluded that PBM was more effective in decreasing nipple pain, inflammation and subsequently milk production and infant weight than topical anti-inflammatory creams.