• Adem Günaydın and Elif Bahar Çakıcı.
• Department of Endodontics, Faculty of Dentistry, Ordu University, Ordu, Turkey.
• Med Princ Pract. 2021 Jan 1; 30 (4): 347-354.

ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to investigate the effect of photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) on postoperative pain provoked by thermal stimulation in direct pulp capping (DPC).Subjects And MethodsA retrospective study was performed using the records of patients who received DPC using mineral trioxide aggregate. Teeth irradiated with a laser were assigned as the PBMT group, and nonirradiated teeth were considered as the control group. Before treatment and 6 h, 1 day, and 7 days after treatment, tooth sensitivity to a cold stimulus was recorded using a visual analog scale.ResultsFrom a total of 123 documented DPC 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 = 0.007), but no difference was found at the preoperative, 6 h, and day 1 time points (p = 0.055, p = 0.132, and p = 0.100, respectively). In the intragroup evaluation, a significantly greater decrease in sensitivity to cold stimulus was detected in the PBMT group than that in the control group, although both groups showed a reduction in discomfort throughout the follow-up period (p = 0.000).ConclusionPBMT is an effective method for enhancing patient comfort by reducing thermal sensitivity following DPC procedures.© 2021 The Author(s). Published by S. Karger AG, Basel.

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