Effect of Laser Photobiomodulation on Postoperative Pain in Endodontics: A Systematic Review.

Objective: Photobiomodulation therapy has proven benefits in various dental treatments. The current systematic review aims to explore the role of laser photobiomodulation in modulating postoperative pain followed by endodontic treatment. Methods: In this systematic review, randomized controlled clinical trials on low-level laser therapy/photobiomodulation in endodontic therapy were analyzed. Database search was performed in PubMed/Medline, Web of Science, Scopus, and Cochrane Library, followed by literature search in Google Scholar. Results: A total of 12 studies were included as per the set criteria. The included studies utilized diode laser (808-970 nm) and indium gallium aluminum. All the included studies evaluated postendodontic pain after root canal therapy and endodontic surgery. A majority of the included studies showed significant benefits of photobiomodulation in postoperative pain management in endodontic therapy.Heterogeneity of the laser parameters and lack of power calculations for sampling among the included studies preclude solid recommendation of use of photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) for postendodontic pain management. Conclusions: Although PBMT has proven potential benefits being a possible adjunct in postoperative pain management in endodontic therapy, it requires robust standardized randomized control trials to confirm the results of the systematic review.

Minimally invasive management of vital teeth requiring root canal therapy.

The present study aimed to investigate the possible use of a non-instrumentation technique including blue light irradiation for root canal cleaning. Extracted human single rooted teeth were selected. Nine different groups included distilled water, NaOCl, intra-canal heated NaOCl, and NaOCl + EDTA irrigation after either instrumentation or non-instrumentation, and a laser application group following non-instrumentation technique. The chemical assessment of the root canal dentine was evaluated using energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. Surface microstructural analyses were performed by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The antimicrobial efficacy of different preparation techniques was evaluated using microbial tests. Light application didn't change the calcium/phosphorus, carbonate/phosphate and amide I/phosphate ratios of the root canal dentin. The root canal dentin preserved its original chemistry and microstructure after light application. The instrumentation decreased the carbonate/phosphate and amide I/phosphate ratios of the root canal dentin regardless of the irrigation solution or technique (p < 0.05). The application of light could not provide antibacterial efficacy to match the NaOCl irrigation. The NaOCl irrigation both in the non-instrumentation and instrumentation groups significantly reduced the number of bacteria (p < 0.05). The use of minimally invasive root canal preparation techniques where the root canal is not instrumented and is disinfected by light followed by obturation with a hydraulic cement sealer reduced the microbial load and preserved the dentin thus may be an attractive treatment option for management of vital teeth needing root canal therapy.

Well-being, postoperative pain and outcome after clinical application of a novel root canal irrigation fluid-RISA-in teeth with apical periodontitis: A first-in-human study.

AIM: The aim of the study was to assess the tolerance to the new root canal irrigation fluid RISA after root canal treatment (RCT) by evaluating the subject's postoperative well-being, postoperative pain (PP) and treatment outcome. METHODOLOGY: A single-arm prospective study with 16 subjects (17 teeth) diagnosed with asymptomatic apical periodontitis. Endodontic treatment in one session performed using RISA for root canal irrigation. Well-being was assessed on the same day and after 24 h by telephone. For pain intensity, a visual analogue scale was used at 0-5 days. Clinical and radiographic evaluations were performed at ≥12 months. Well-being, occurrence of PP and outcome were qualitatively reported. Friedman test for paired samples and Spearman correlation coefficient were used. Significance was set at p < .05. RESULTS: At the same day and after 24 h, 14/16 subjects felt 'good'. 9/16 presented intra- or extra-oral swelling. The frequency of PP ≥36 (weak) was 82.4%. On the same day, 1 and 2 days postoperatively, there was more pain compared with preoperative pain p < .05. At Day 3, PP equalled preoperative pain (p > .05). 62.5% of subjects needed analgesics Day 0-2. The recall rate was 94.1%, and resolution of apical periodontitis was observed in 87.5%. CONCLUSIONS: The well-being of subjects was good, and the overall PP intensity was low. However, postoperative intra- and extra-oral swelling occurred often. At the recall visit, the effectiveness of the RCT with RISA appeared high (87.5%). The encouraging outcome results plus the fact that RISA has a broader action range than NaOCl in vitro, justify further work on the RISA solution. To reduce postoperative swelling, it is advised to further investigate the optimal way of application of RISA in the laboratory before clinical application is recommended.

Comparison of intracanal ozone and low-level laser therapy on postoperative pain in vital teeth with symptomatic apical periodontitis:placebo-controlled randomize trial.

The aim of this study was to compare the effect of ozone and low-level-laser therapy (LLLT) on postoperative pain after root canal treatment in symptomatic apical periodontitis on vital teeth. Eighty patients were divided into four groups using a web program as follows: LLLT placebo (mock laser therapy), LLLT, Ozone placebo (mock ozonated water irrigation), and Ozone. Postoperative pain levels for 7 days after treatment and percussion pain levels at the 7th day were recorded on the visual analog scale. A regression analysis, Cochran's Q test, Chi-square test, Kruskal-Wallis tests were performed to analyze the data (P=.05). A regression analysis demonstrated that the most effective variables are "group" and "jaw" (P=0.01). Pain in the lower jaw is higher than the upper jaw. There was difference between the groups on postoperative pain at the days 1, 2, and 3; however, there was no significant difference on other days. LLLT and ozone groups had less postoperative pain and pain on percussion. Low-level laser and ozone therapy are useful methods on postoperative-pain in vital symptomatic teeth ,but they don't have superiority to each other.

Pulpotomy versus root canal treatment in permanent teeth with spontaneous pain: comparable clinical and patient outcomes, but insufficient evidence.

DESIGN: A systematic appraisal and statistical aggregation of primary studies. DATA SOURCES: Scopus/ELSEVIER, PubMed/MEDLINE, Clarivate Analytics' Web of Science (i.e., Web of Science Core Collection-WoS, Korean Journal Database-KJD, Russian Science Citation Index-RSCI, SciELO Citation Index-SCIELO), and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) via the Cochrane Library.The complementary searches consisted of OpenGrey, Google Scholar (first 100 returns), Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations, Open Access Theses and Dissertations, DART-Europe E-theses Portal-DEEP, Opening access to UK theses-EThOS. STUDY SELECTION: Human clinical trials studies in English language with at least 10 patients with mature or immature permanent teeth with pulpitis characterized by spontaneous pain in each arm (i.e., root canal treatment [RCT] and pulpotomy) at the end of the study, comparing the patient- (Primary: survival, pain, tenderness, swelling assessed by clinical history, clinical examination, and pain scales; Secondary: tooth function, need for further intervention, adverse effects; OHRQoL using a validated questionnaire) and clinical-reported outcomes (Primary: emerging apical radiolucency as per intraoral periapical radiograph or limited FOV CBCT scan; Secondary: radiological evidence of continued root formation and presence of sinus tract). DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS: Two independent review authors conducted study selection, data extraction and risk of bias (RoB) assessment and a third reviewer was consulted for solving disagreements. When insufficient or absent information, the corresponding author was reached out to for further explanation. The Cochrane RoB tool for randomized trials (RoB 2.0) was evaluated the quality of studies.The meta-analysis was performed on a fixed-effect model to estimate pooled effect size such as odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were performed using the R software. The quality of evidence assessed by the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations (GRADE) approach (GRADEpro GDT: GRADEpro Guideline Development Tool [software], McMaster University, 2015). RESULTS: Five primary studies were included. Four studies referred to a multicentre trial assessing postoperative pain and long-term success rate after pulpotomy compared with one-visit RCT in 407 mature molars. The other study was a multicentre trial assessing postoperative pain in 550 mature molars treated with pulpotomy and pulp capping with the calcium-enriched mixture (CEM), pulpotomy and pulp capping with mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) and one-visit RCT. Both trials primarily reported first molars from young adults. When looking at the results of postoperative pain, all the trials included had a low RoB. However, when evaluating the clinical and radiographic outcomes of the included reports, it was determined that there was a high RoB. The meta-analysis found that the likelihood of experiencing pain (i.e., mild, moderate, or severe) at the 7th postoperative day was not affected by the type of intervention (OR = 0.99, 95% CI 0.63-1.55, I2 = 0%).The study design, risk of bias, inconsistency, indirectness, imprecision, and publication bias domains were used to grade the quality of evidence for postoperative pain between RCT and full pulpotomy, resulting in a 'High' grade. In the first year, clinical success was high for both interventions, with a rate of 98%. However, the success rate declined over time, with pulpotomy showing a 78.1% success rate and RCT showing a 75.3% success rate at the 5-year follow up. CONCLUSIONS: This systematic review was limited by the inclusion of only two trials, indicating a lack of sufficient evidence to draw definitive conclusions. Nonetheless, the available clinical data suggests that patient-reported pain outcomes do not differ significantly between RCT and pulpotomy at Day 7 postoperatively, and that the long-term clinical success rate of both treatments is comparable, as demonstrated by a single randomized control trial. However, to establish a more robust evidence base, additional high-quality randomized clinical trials, conducted by diverse research groups, are needed in this field. In conclusion, this review underscores the insufficiency of current evidence to draw solid recommendations.

A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial of Pulpotomy versus Root Canal Therapy in Mature Teeth with Irreversible Pulpitis: Outcome, Quality of Life, and Patients' Satisfaction.

INTRODUCTION: Vital pulp therapy is increasingly practiced as an alternative treatment to root canal therapy (RCT) in teeth with carious pulp exposure. The aim of this study was to compare the outcome, quality of life (QOL), and patients' satisfaction after full pulpotomy and RCT in mature teeth with irreversible pulpitis. METHODS: Sixty mature permanent molar teeth with carious pulp exposure and a diagnosis of irreversible pulpitis were randomly divided into 2 groups (n = 30). The first group was treated with full pulpotomy using Biodentine (Septodont, Saint Maur des Fosses, France), and the second group was treated with RCT. The pain level was recorded preoperatively and at 1, 2, 3, 5, and 7 days. Clinical and radiographic assessments were performed at the 6- and 12-month follow-ups; 1 case in each group did not attend. Based on the Oral Health Impact Profile questionnaire and 7 semantic differential scales, QOL, and patients' satisfaction were evaluated and compared statistically. RESULTS: Pulpotomy and RCT had comparable success rates (27/29, 93%). Pain levels at day 1 after pulpotomy were significantly lower than after RCT (P = .037), less patients required analgesics (P = .028), and pulpotomy provided pain relief in a shorter time compared with RCT. Both treatments improved the Oral Health Impact Profile QOL of patients without significant differences (60.29, 64.1% at 1 year). Patients' satisfaction with pulpotomy was higher than RCT in terms of the time involved, intraoperative pain, pleasantness, and cost (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Full pulpotomy could be an alternative treatment to RCT in mature teeth with carious pulp exposure and symptomatic irreversible pulpitis based on the clinical and radiographic success rates and patients' satisfaction.

Comparative evaluation of Sapindus Mukorossi extract with 17% EDTA on smear layer removal in various parts of the tooth root.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of an experimental root canal irrigant and 17% Ethylene-di-amine tetra acetic acid for removal of the smear layer in the coronal, middle and apical portions of the root canal. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ninety human single rooted maxillary and mandibular teeth were selected for this study. The teeth were randomly divided into two experimental groups and one control group as follows: Group A (Ethanolic extract of Sapindus Mukorossi), Group B (17% EDTA), and Group C (Distilled water). The root canals of all three groups were prepared with stainless steel K-files by means of the standard step-back technique and irrigated with 5.25% sodium hypo chloride. The teeth were decoronated, following the irrigation and divided longitudinally into two-halves and visualized using scanning electron microscope (SEM) for the amount of smear layer present utilizing the three-point score system. The observations were noted both before and after the treatment. Nonparametric tests were applied for the comparison and p-value ⩽ 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. RESULTS: It was evident from that smear layer was completely removed in coronal portion of 27 out of 30 teeth in-group A. For middle and apical areas of group A, 24 and 19 teeth showed complete smear layer removal. In-group B it was found that there were 24, 21, and 3 teeth at coronal, middle and apical, areas respectively where smear layer were completely absent. Intra group comparison showed a significant difference (p = 0.002) in smear layer removal was found for group A at coronal, middle and apical thirds. Similarly, a significant difference (p = 0.001) was also found for group B; however heavy smear layer was found among the three parts of the canal for group C. CONCLUSIONS: Ethanolic extract of Sapindus Mukorossi have higher effectiveness in removing the smear layer from the root canal in comparison to 17% EDTA.

Periradicular repair after single- and two-visit root canal treatments using ultrasonic irrigant activation and calcium hydroxide dressing of teeth with apical periodontitis: study protocol for randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: In certain clinical situations, root canal treatment in teeth with apical periodontitis is performed in multiple visits, with the use of intracanal dressing between visits, aiming to reduce microorganisms and their by-products of the root canal system prior to filling. However, in recent years, discussions have been growing about the real need for the use of intracanal dressing in these cases. The use of ultrasonic activation of the auxiliary chemical substance has increased the potential for decontamination promoted during the chemomechanical preparation of the root canal. Thus, this study is designed to explore whether the use of intracanal dressing between visits during endodontic treatment favors periradicular repair in teeth with apical periodontitis. METHODS: This is a randomized, prospective, double-blinded, controlled clinical trial designed to evaluate 3 distinct clinical approaches used during endodontic therapy: group 1-root canal treatment in a single visit (RCT-SV); group 2-root canal treatment in two visits with intracanal dressing (RCT-TVWD); and group 3-root canal treatment in two visits without intracanal dressing (RCT-TVWOD). A total of 150 adult patients aged 18 to 60, with at least one tooth diagnosed with asymptomatic apical periodontitis and periradicular lesion (confirmed with a cone beam computed tomography (CBCT)), will be randomized and will undergo one of the types of clinical approaches during endodontic therapy. Patients' postoperative pain levels will also be recorded in periods of 24, 48, and 72 h and 7 days. Subsequently, clinical findings and long-term follow-up evaluations, with periradicular repair, will be performed at 6 and 12 months by intraoral periapical radiograph (IOPAR) and CBCT at the 24-month follow-up. DISCUSSION: This study will evaluate the periradicular repair of mandibular molar teeth with apical periodontitis, providing information about the efficacy, benefits, and safety of performing the endodontic treatment in a single and two visits, with and without the use of calcium hydroxide dressing. All endodontic therapy procedures will be performed under a dental operating microscope and using ultrasonic activation of auxiliary chemical substances. These results may contribute to changes in the clinical approaches adopted during endodontic therapy of teeth with apical periodontitis and reveal the potential of complementary approaches that aim to enhance the decontamination of the root canal system during the preparation stage. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05256667. Registered on 24 February 2022.

Efficiency of diode laser in control of post-endodontic pain: a randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVES: As post-endodontic pain control is one of the main targeted addressed in endodontics, our aim was delignated to compare two different methods for low-level laser application utilizing diode laser: low-level laser therapy (LLLT) and laser-activated irrigation (LAI) in the control of post-endodontic pain. MATERIALS AND SUBJECTS: A total of 180 patients received single-visit root canal treatment; they were randomly allocated into 3 equal groups. Group I received LAI, group II received LLLT, and group III served as control with normal root canal treatment and mock laser intervention (ML group). Postoperative pain was recorded using visual analogue scale (VAS) after 24, 48, and 72 h. Data were tabulated and statistically analyzed. RESULTS: At 24 h, there was a statistically significant difference between median pain scores in the three groups (P value < 0.001) with ML group scored highest score followed by LAI and then LLLT group. At 48 h, there was a statistically significant difference between the three groups (P value < 0.001), with ML group scoring highest median pain scores while LLLT and LAI showed statistical insignificant scores. At 72 h, there was no statistically significant difference between the 3 groups (P value = 0.179). CONCLUSION: LLLT is superior to LAI and ML group in the control of immediate postoperative pain after 24 h while after 48 h both LAI and LLLT were equally effective, but they still showed significant differences when compared to ML group. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Diode laser can be used by clinicians as it decreases the post-endodontic pain in patients with symptomatic apical periodontitis undergoing endodontic treatment.

Efficacy of curcumin-mediated photodynamic therapy for root canal therapy procedures: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: This systematic review aimed to investigate the effectiveness of CUR-mediated PDT (Curcumin mediated PDT) as an adjunct to conventional chemo-mechanical debridement and/or standard PDT of the RC system with endodontic infections. METHODS: The focused research question was: "Whether the application Curcumin mediated PDT as an adjunct is more effective than the traditional chemo-mechanical debridement and/or standard PDT of the RC system alone for improving antibacterial and/or mechanical features among subjects undergoing RCT?". An electronic literature search was performed in Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science. In vitro reports utilizing Curcumin mediated PDT as an adjunct to conventional chemo-mechanical debridement considering permanent dentition assessing the antibacterial and/or mechanical effect were included. RESULTS: Eighteen articles were included in the review, out of which 13 studies assessed the antibacterial activity, while 5 evaluated the mechanical properties. Most of the studies concluded that Curcumin mediated PDT had a significant antibacterial activity than the conventional chemo-mechanical debridement and/or standard PDT. Four of the five studies suggested that Curcumin mediated PDT had no impact on the push-out bond strength of root dentin. Furthermore, the significant heterogeneity in the data from the included studies did not permit the author to carry out a meta-analysis. CONCLUSION: There is potential for application of Curcumin mediated PDT as an adjunct to the conventional chemo-mechanical debridement and/or standard PDT in reducing the bacterial load, however, Curcumin mediated PDT has minimal effect on enhancing the pushout bond strength of fiber posts to radicular dentin. Moreover, clinical studies are required to provide a more conclusive opinion on the efficacy of Curcumin mediated PDT for RCT procedures.

Effectiveness of root canal irrigation and dressing for the treatment of apical periodontitis: A systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials.

BACKGROUND: Sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and/or calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)2 ) are commonly used during root canal treatment. Evaluation of their effectiveness regarding clinical and patient-related outcomes requires further understanding. OBJECTIVES: To assess the effectiveness of root canal irrigation and dressing for the treatment of teeth with apical periodontitis (AP). METHODS: A search was conducted in the PubMed-MEDLINE, Scopus, EMBASE, Google scholar databases and available repositories, followed by hand searches, until July 2021. Eligibility criteria followed the a priori formulated Population, Intervention, Comparator, Outcomes, Timing, and Study design (PICOTS) framework. Clinical studies restricted to English language were included. The revised Cochrane risk-of-bias tool for randomised trials (RoB 2) was used to assess the quality of included studies. Meta-analyses were performed using the fixed-effect model to obtain Risk Ratio (RR) and 95% Confidence Interval (CI), with sensitivity analysis. Overall quality of evidence of meta-analyses was assessed through the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation tool. RESULTS: The search identified 1357 records of which six fulfilled the inclusion criteria, providing data for 'irrigation' from 212 teeth and for 'dressings' from 438 teeth. Two studies reported no significant difference regarding the outcome 'pain at 7 days' using 2% chlorhexidine vs. 5.25% NaOCl and EDTA or after using different concentrations of NaOCl (1% vs. 5%). No significant difference was detected between different NaOCl concentrations regarding the reduction of AP. A meta-analysis was possible for the comparison of single-visit (SV) versus multiple-visits including the use of Ca(OH)2 demonstrating a significant effect in favour of SV (RR: 1.10; 95% CI: 1.03-1.19; p = .007; I2  = 0). RoB of included studies was moderate to low. DISCUSSION: The use of Ca(OH)2 for the treatment of AP may not be beneficial. There is scarce or no evidence fulfilling the proposed PICOTS regarding irrigants and dressings. CONCLUSIONS: There is moderate certainty that SV treatment is associated with better radiographic evidence of normal periodontal ligament space (strict criteria) compared with the use of Ca(OH)2. Reduction of AP is comparable after irrigation with 1% and 5% NaOCl, whereas postoperative pain at 7 days for the irrigants assessed is similar. REGISTRATION: PROSPERO database CRD42021260271.

Effect of Photobiomodulation on Pain Following Single Visit Non-surgical Root Canal Treatment of Molar Teeth with Symptomatic Irreversible Pulpitis

ABSTRACT Objective: To assess the effect of Photobiomodulation (PBM) on post-endodontic pain of mandibular molar teeth with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis. Material and Methods: In this clinical trial, mandibular molars with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis underwent primary endodontic treatment in 90 systemically healthy patients. After root canal treatment, the patients were randomly divided into two groups of PBM with diode laser at 940 nm wavelength and 200 mW output power and placebo (mock PBM therapy). Level of pain was recorded at 6, 12, 24, 48, and 72 hours postoperatively using a visual analog scale (VAS). The data were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney test and the Kruskal-Wallis test. Results: The results showed that post-endodontic pain at all time points was significantly lower in the PBM group compared with the placebo group. The pain score in the PBM group was significantly lower than the placebo group (p<0.05). However, this difference was not significant at 48 h (p=0.18) and 72 h (p=0.12) postoperatively. Also, the results showed that the mean pain score in males and females in the PBM group was significantly lower than in males and females in the placebo group. Conclusion: Photobiomodulation can effectively decrease post-endodontic pain in mandibular molar teeth with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis.

Diagnóstico clínico, radiográfico e histológico de un caso de fibrosis periapical posendodóntica / Clinical, radiographic, and histologic diagnosis of a postendodontic periapical fibrosis case

Objetivo: La fibrosis periapical posendodóntica es un proceso reparativo asintomático, radiolúcido y no progresivo que se interpreta con frecuencia como una lesión patológica persistente. El diagnóstico de esta entidad suele ser dudoso y sólo puede definirse mediante la correlación de las obser- vaciones clínicas, radiográficas e histológicas. El objetivo de este informe es describir el caso de un paciente que presenta un área radiolúcida periapical persistente y asintomática en un incisivo lateral superior. Caso clínico: Luego de cuatro años y dos meses de ha- ber recibido un tratamiento endodóntico el paciente concurre a la consulta para un examen de rutina. El examen radiográfico del diente revela un área radiolúcida persistente y bien defini- da. A causa de una fractura radicular irreparable, se indicó la extracción de la pieza dentaria. Esto permitió realizar el estu- dio histológico del tejido blando que permanecía adherido en el ápice de la raíz, lo que confirmó y completó el diagnóstico de fibrosis periapical posendodóntica.(AU)

Aim: The postendodontic periapical fibrosis is an asymp- tomatic radiolucent and non-progressive healing process that is often interpreted as a persistent pathological lesion. The diagnosis of this entity is usually uncertain, and it is only de- fined by the correlation of clinical, radiographic and histo- logical observations.The aim of this report is to describe the case of a patient with a long-term persisting asymptomatic and radiolucent area in a upper lateral incisor. Clinical case: Four years and two months after receiv- ing an endodontic treatment the patient comes to our office for a routine control. Radiographic examination revealed the presence of a persistent well defined radiolucent area. Sur- gical tooth extraction was required due to the presence of a complicated root fracture.This allowed to perform a histolog- ical study of the soft tissue attached to the apex of the ex- tracted root, which confirmed and completed the diagnosis of postendodontic periapical fibrosis (AU)

Semiconducting Polymer Nanoparticles with Intramolecular Motion-Induced Photothermy for Tumor Phototheranostics and Tooth Root Canal Therapy.

Much effort is devoted to develop agents with superior photoacoustic/photothermal properties for improved disease diagnosis and treatment. Herein, a new fused two isoindigo (DIID)-based semiconducting conjugated polymer (named PBDT-DIID) is rationally designed and synthesized with a strong near-infrared absorption band ranging from 700 to 1000 nm. Water-dispersing nanoparticles (NPs) of PBDT-DIID are prepared with good biocompatibility and a rather high photothermal conversion efficiency (70.6%), as the active excited-state intramolecular twist around the central double bonds in DIID permits most of the absorbed excitation energy flow to heat deactivation pathway through internal conversion. The photoacoustic signal can be further magnified by incorporation of polylactide (PLA) in the NP core to confine the generated heat of PBDT-DIID within NPs. The resultant doped NPs show excellent performance in photoacoustic imaging-guided photothermal therapy in an orthotopic 4T1 breast tumor-bearing mouse model. It is also found that the photothermal effect of the PBDT-DIID NPs is safe and quite efficacious to highly improve the root canal treatment outcome by heating the 1% NaClO solution inside the root canal upon 808 nm laser irradiation in a human extracted tooth root canal infection model.

Management of teeth with dens invaginatus and apical periodontitis: A case series.

BACKGROUND: Dens invaginatus is a dental anomaly that can predispose the tooth to pulp and periapical pathology. CASE DESCRIPTION: Different endodontists treated 6 maxillary incisors with dens invaginatus associated with apical periodontitis. Cone-beam computed tomography was used to help with diagnosis and treatment planning in most patients. Four patients received diagnoses of Oehlers type II dens invaginatus and the other 2 as type III. In some patients with type II, the invagination had to be perforated to permit access to the apical part of the true root canal. Both the true canal and the invagination (pseudocanal) were treated in all cases using an antimicrobial regimen based on chemomechanical preparation with sodium hypochlorite irrigation and supplementary disinfection approaches. Calcium hydroxide medication was used in all but 1 case. The root canal and invagination were often filled using thermoplasticized gutta-percha techniques, sometimes using an apical plug with a bioceramic material in teeth with large apical openings. All treated patients had favorable clinical and radiographic outcomes. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: Regardless of the complex anatomic variations, common strategic therapeutic approaches were identified that might serve as recommendations for proper management of teeth with dens invaginatus and apical periodontitis. These approaches include cone-beam computed tomographic planning, aggressive disinfection using sodium hypochlorite ultrasonic or sonic activation and calcium hydroxide intracanal medication, and thermoplasticized gutta-percha obturation of both the root canal and invagination.

A critical analysis of research methods and experimental models to study intracanal medicaments.

In order to ensure predictable decontamination of the root canal system, chemo-mechanical preparation of the root canal space is sometimes supplemented with the use of intracanal medication. As microbial control of the root canal space is fundamental to the resolution of apical periodontitis, root canal disinfection strategies haven been researched intensively. The use of intracanal medication as a supplementary step to the chemo-mechanical preparation of the root canal space is one of them. Because of the costs and limitations of clinical research it is relevant and common practice to first evaluate alternative or new root canal disinfection modalities in laboratory studies. This involves the simulation of a root canal infection in a laboratory model, on which different disinfection strategies can be tested. When modelling the infected root canal, different levels of infection can be discriminated: suspended bacteria, microbial biofilms and infected dentine. This review describes the experimental models associated with these infection levels and critically appraises their value and methodological details. Suggestions for relevant research methods and experimental models are given, as well as some good practices for laboratory-based microbiological studies.

Uso da fototerapia como método complementar no retratamento endodôntico: revisões sistemáticas e meta-análise de ensaios clínicos / Use of phototherapy as a complementary method in endodontic reintervention: systematic reviews and meta-analysis of clinical trials

Este trabalho objetivou realizar duas revisões sistemáticas com as seguintes propostas: 1) Avaliar se a fototerapia com laser resultaria em menor dor pós-operatória (PP) em pacientes submetidos a reintervenção endodôntica; e 2) Avaliar se o uso da terapia fotodinâmica antimicrobiana (aPDT) seria eficaz na desinfecção de canais radiculares em casos de reintervenção endodôntica. As Revisões Sistemáticas foram registradas no PROSPERO (CRD42021243500 e CRD42021260013, respectivamente) e seguiram as diretrizes dos Itens de Relatório Preferenciais para Revisões Sistemáticas e Meta-análise (PRISMA). As buscas foram realizadas nas bases de dados eletrônicas PubMeb, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, Web of Science, Clinical Trials e Cochrane Library e nos bancos de dados da literatura cinza. A qualidade metodológica e o risco de viés foram avaliados pela ferramenta Cochrane Risk of Bias para ensaios clínicos randomizados (RCT) e pelo qualificador NewcastleOttawa (NOS) para estudos não RCT (prospectivos). A análise da qualidade de evidência foi realizada com base na abordagem GRADE. A meta-análise foi realizada com o R software Meta package, utilizando um intervalo de confiança (IC) de 95%. Quanto aos resultados do Artigo 1: Cinco artigos foram incluídos para análise. Os estudos foram classificados como "baixo" risco de viés. Dos cinco estudos clínicos, quatro estudos mostraram uma diminuição significativa da PP após a reintervenção endodôntica nos grupos de fototerapia a laser quando comparados ao grupo controle, principalmente nos primeiros dias após a intervenção. A certeza de evidência foi classificada como baixa. Devido à alta heterogeneidade clínica entre os estudos, não foi possível realizar qualquer meta-análise. Apesar das limitações desta revisão sistemática, a fototerapia se mostrou uma alternativa promissora na redução e controle da PP na reintervenção endodôntica não cirúrgica. Nos resultados do Artigo 2, dez estudos atenderam aos critérios de elegibilidade e foram incluídos, sendo 8 utilizados na síntese quantitativa. A meta-análise mostrou que todos os dados dos estudos apresentaram diferença significativa antes e depois da terapia fotodinâmica antimicrobiana na redução da carga microbiana em infecções endondônticas secundárias (OR 0,15 [0,07; 0,32], p < 0,0001). No geral, os estudos apresentaram baixo risco de viés e a análise das evidências foi classificada como moderada. Sugere-se que a terapia fotodinâmica seja uma ferramenta benéfica e promissora, mostrando eficácia na redução da carga microbiana nos casos de reintervenção endodôntica. Em suma, a abordagem da utilização da fototerapia se demonstrou eficaz na diminuição da dor pós-operatória e na desinfecção dos canais radiculares, podendo ser uma terapia indicada nos casos de reintervenção endodôntica(AU)

This study aimed to carry out two systematic reviews with the following proposals: 1) Evaluate whether laser phototherapy would result in less postoperative pain (PP) in patients undergoing endodontic reintervention; and 2) Evaluate whether the use of antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) would be effective in disinfection of root canals in cases of endodontic reintervention. Systematic Reviews were registered in PROSPERO (CRD42021243500 and CRD42021260013, respectively) and followed the guidelines of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Metaanalysis (PRISMA). Searches were performed in the electronic databases PubMeb, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, Web of Science, Clinical Trials and Cochrane Library and in the gray literature databases. Methodological quality and risk of bias were assessed by the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool for randomized clinical trials (RCT) and by the Newcastle-Ottawa (NOS) qualifier for non-RCT (prospective) studies. The analysis of the quality of evidence was performed based on the GRADE approach. The meta-analysis was performed using the R Meta package software, using a 95% confidence interval (CI). As for the results of Article 1: Five articles were included for analysis. Studies were classified as "low" risk of bias. Of the five clinical studies, four studies showed a significant decrease in PP after endodontic reintervention in the laser phototherapy groups when compared to the control group, mainly in the first days after the intervention. The certainty of evidence was rated low. Due to the high clinical heterogeneity between studies, it was not possible to perform any meta-analysis. Despite the limitations of this systematic review, phototherapy proved to be a promising alternative for the reduction and control of PP in conventional endodontic reintervention. In the results of Article 2, ten studies met the eligibility criteria and were included, being 8 used in the quantitative synthesis. The meta-analysis showed that all data from the studies showed a significant difference before and after antimicrobial photodynamic therapy in reducing the microbial load in secondary endodontic infections (OR 0.15 [0.07; 0.32], p < 0.0001). Overall, the studies presented a low risk of bias and the analysis of evidence was rated as moderate. It is suggested that photodynamic therapy is a beneficial and promising tool, showing efficacy in reducing the microbial load in cases of endodontic reintervention. In summary, the approach to the use of phototherapy has been shown to be effective in reducing postoperative pain and disinfection of root canals, and may be an indicated therapy in cases of endodontic reintervention(AU)

Evaluation of Ozone Therapy in Endodontic Treatment of Teeth with Necrotic Pulp and Apical Periodontitis: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to compare the effect of different application techniques of ozone on the prevalence of postendodontic pain in patients undergoing single-visit root canal treatment. METHODS: hundred eight patients with necrotic pulp in single-rooted teeth and apical periodontitis participated in the trial. A standard single-visit endodontics protocol was followed with 5.25% sodium hypochlorite and rotary nickel-titanium files. After shaping and cleaning, patients were randomly allocated into the following groups: group 1 (n = 21), ozone treatment with no activation (NA); group 2 (n = 22), ozone treatment with manual dynamic activation (MDA); group 3, (n = 21), ozone treatment with passive ultrasonic activation (PUA); group 4 (n = 23), ozone treatment with sonic activation (SA); and group 5 (n = 21), no ozone treatment (the control group). Patient levels of discomfort were recorded at 6 different time intervals using the visual analog scale (VAS). Comparison of the mean difference between the groups and time intervals was performed using 2-way analysis of variance followed by a post hoc Bonferroni test. The level of significance was set at 5%. RESULTS: VAS scores were highest for the control > NA > MDA > SA > PUA groups. A statistically significant reduction in VAS scores was observed in the PUA and SA groups in comparison with the NA, control, and MDA groups. Timewise comparison showed a highly significant decline in VAS scores at all time intervals (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Ultrasonic and sonic activation of ozone resulted in less pain in patients undergoing single-visit endodontics compared with no ozone treatment.

Cymbopogon citratus essential oil: an active principle of nanoemulsion against Enterococcus faecalis root canal biofilm.

Aim: The objective was to formulate and characterize the nanoemulsion based on Cymbopogon citratus oil, intended for use in infected teeth root canal therapy. The investigation of the antioxidant and antibiofilm potential toward Enterococcus faecalis was aimed as well. Materials & methods: Characterization of oil (by GC/MS analysis) and nanoemulsion (by dynamic light scattering instrument), and determination of antibacterial (by microdilution assay), antibiofilm (by crystal violet assay) and antioxidant properties (by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl-hydrate and thiobarbituric acid assay methods) were provided. Antibiofilm efficacy of irrigation procedure including nanoemulsion was screened on extracted teeth (by CFU-counting assay). Results: Notable antibacterial and antibiofilm activity, both against forming and preformed biofilms of oil, was observed. Irrigation involved nanoemulsion showed remarkable antibiofilm potential. Both substances induced some antioxidant activity. Conclusion: Results encourage further research with the aim of application of the nanoemulsion in dental practice.

Treatment of symptomatic, deep, almost cariously exposed lesions using ozone.

The aim of this controlled randomized crossover study was to assess post-treatment pain and the need for root canal treatment after the use of a traditional caries removal method followed by restoration, or after an ozone method of more conservatively managing the deep caries and a restoration. 84 participants (42 males and 42 females, mean age ± SD = 23.9 ± 2.0 years) were randomly allocated to receive either a traditional (n = 42, 21 males and 21 females) or ozone (n = 42, 21 males and 21 females) method. The ozone method only differed from the traditional method by leaving the deep leathery caries on the pulpal floor and then treating this with 20 s of ozone from the healozone X4 (Curozone, Germany). All caries was removed in the traditional group. A conventional glass ionomer cement (Riva Self Cure High Viscosity, SDI, Australia) was placed followed by a bonded composite resin restoration (Filtek Z250 Universal Restorative, 3 M ESPE, USA) in each cavity. The visual analogue scale was used to assess pain scores before treatment and after 24 h. The participants were then followed up for 2 years to assess the need for root canal treatment. Statistical significance levels were set at α ≤ .05. Both groups were associated with significant reduction of pain scores 24 h after treatment (p < .0001). The ozone treatment was associated with less pain 24 h after treatment (p < .0001) and less need for root canal treatment (p = .014), after 2 years follow up, than the conventional treatment. In conclusion, treatment of symptomatic, deep carious lesions by ozone following partial removal of caries was accompanied with less pain and occurrence of RCT after treatment compared to traditional complete caries removal.