Postoperative Pain After Using Er,Cr,YSGG Lazer Irradiation During Root Canal Treatment

Irrigation with sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) during chemo-mechanic preparation for effective root canal disinfection is a standard protocol in root canal treatment. NaOCl is an alkali irrigant with pH 11.0 -12.0. Nearby its high antimicrobial efficacy, cytotoxic features make it questionable when it comes contact with periradicular tissues. Several irrigation materials were investigated less cytotoxic, more or equal antimicrobial to avoid such adverse effects. Calcium hypochlorite, chlorhexidine, chitosan and antibiotics are some of the chemicals tested. Laser is not a chemical but its action may show antibacterial effect. Studies showed that Er,Cr:YSGG laser is strongly antibacterial against Enterococcus faecalis biofilm. This antibacterial effect were frequently obtained with laser activated irrigation (LAI) or photon-induced photoacoustic streaming (PIPS) in the literature. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether disinfection procedure with laser provides more or less benefit in terms of postoperative pain when compared with the conventional NaOCl irrigation method.