Abstract
Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the results of two irradiated regions, the cervical and apical, for cervical dentin hypersensitivity treatment using pulsed a Nd:YAG laser with or without black ink. Summary Background Data: There has been no reports on the irradiated area(s) except the cervical region for dentin hypersensitivity treatment using pulsed Nd:YAG laser. Methods: A total of 180 teeth diagnosed with cervical dentin hypersensitivity in 54 (39 females, 15 males, aged 21 to 73) healthy adult patients were included in this study, and teeth were randomly divided into four groups of 45 each. Sensitivity was rated using a blast from a fully depressed air syringe on a four-grade scale both before and up to 2 months after laser treatment. The effectiveness was evaluated on the change in the degree of hypersensitivity after laser treatment. The tooth surfaces in groups 1 and 2 were observed by the replica model method using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Results: The methods of irradiation at the cervical regions were better than those at the apical regions except for the period 2 months later. The laser effect was enhanced by black ink at both areas. The effective (excellent and good) rate was decreased depending on the time in every group. SEM observation at the tooth surfaces from group 2 showed that dentinal tubules were occluded or narrowed after laser irradiation. Conclusions: These results show that the method of irradiation by a pulsed Nd:YAG laser at cervical regions with black ink is the most effective for cervical dentin treatment of hypersensitivity and recurrence by this method is less than in other methods.
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