Histopathological study of the effects of low-intensity laser irradiation (λ=650 nm) on dental pulp tissue after cavity pre paration

The purpose of this study was to evaluate (in vivo) the effects of low-intensity Arsenide Gallium Aluminium laser application post-cavity preparation class 1. Six patients with bilateral pre-molars and molars indicated to extraction for orthodontics aim were selected. Four samples of these teeth underwent cavity preparation with deep from medium to high and two samples underwent cavity preparation from high to pulp expositions. The samples were constituted of two teeth of the same patient and received different treatments. One of the teeth underwent laser exposition and the other one was maintained as control, before restorative procedure with polycarboxylate cement. A diode laser (λ=650 nm), output power 30 mW and fluencies of 1,8 J/cm2 and 2,7 J/cm2 in pre-molars and molars, respectively, was used for irradiation with repetition rate of 18 Hz in interrupted continuous wave mode. After seven days, the teeth were extracted and processed histologically with HE to verify morphological changes in the pulpy tissue. The four samples, which cavity preparation and restorative material were not in contact with the pulp, did not show histological differences between irradiated and non-irradiated teeth. Both of them presented the same characteristics of normality. The two samples with exposed pulpy tissue showed different results. The irradiated teeth presented no or slight inflammatory signs when compared to the control samples, which showed abscess in the coronary pulp interior and intense inflammatory infiltrated. These results suggest that the laser irradiation can be used as a therapeutic modality in clinical trials, in the conditions employed in this study. (author)