Treatment outcome for dentin hypersensitivity with laser therapy: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Laser protocols for the treatment of dentin hypersensitivity (DH) have not yet been studied systematically. OBJECTIVES: The present study aimed to review clinical trials on the treatment of DH with laser therapy through a systematic review and meta-analysis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The search of electronic databases resulted in 562 publications up to April 2020. The inclusion criteria were studies carried out on humans and reporting on the treatment of DH with laser therapy. Case reports, literature reviews and systematic reviews were excluded. Selected by abstract, potentially eligible papers were read in full (n = 160). Independent examiners performed data extraction and the assessment of the risk of bias. RESULTS: A total of 34 studies were included in the analysis, and 11 in the quantitative analysis. It was observed that most studies followed up patients for a maximum of 6 months (55%). Through the meta-analysis, we observed statistically significant differences between the average pain before and after 3 months of treatment with highand low-power lasers. However, through indirect comparisons, it was observed that the high-power laser showed a greater tendency to reduce the pain levels after 3 months of treatment as compared to the low-power laser, but without a statistically significant difference. CONCLUSIONS: It was possible to conclude that regardless of the type of laser used in the treatment of DH, this treatment is an effective option for the control of pain symptoms. However, it was not possible to establish a defined treatment protocol, since the evaluation methods are very different from each other. Text for Rewiew and clinical cases.

Use of Restorative Materials in Primary Teeth - A Retrospective University-Based Study

ABSTRACT Objective: To investigate the types of restorative materials used for restorative treatment in primary teeth through a retrospective university-based study. Material and Methods: The sample consisted of all clinical records of children attended at the Pediatric Dentistry Clinic at the School of Dentistry of Ribeirão Preto at the University of São Paulo in Brazil. Inclusion criteria were primary anterior and posterior teeth that received dental restorations for treatment of dental caries lesions, dental trauma or dental development defects from 2013 to 2018. Restoration repairs and interim restorations during this period were also recorded. Descriptive analyzes were performed to assess the distribution according to the type of restorative material used over the years. Results: A total of 5,236 restorative procedures were performed in primary teeth, including restoration repair and interim restorations. Of those, 69% were done in posterior teeth and 31% in anterior teeth. Sixty percent of the procedures performed during this period were made of composite resin and a lower percentage of glass ionomer cement (18%) followed by silver amalgam (1%). The number of interim restorations was smaller but proportional to those of composite resin over the years. Conclusion: A tendency to carry out restorative treatment of primary teeth with composite resin during the 6 years of follow-up was observed.