Evaluation of Effect of Laser in Root Canal Disinfection in Pulp Regenerative Therapy: A Systematic Review

Background: The evaluation of the effect of laser in disinfection of root canal in pulp regenerative therapy, if found effective laser can be used for root canal disinfection in cases of regenerative endodontic therapy. Objective: This study includes a systematic review addressing the question of whether laser is effective in root canal treatment in regenerative endodontic therapy. Methods: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs), case series, and animal studies evaluating the effect of laser-assisted endodontic irrigation in pulp regenerative therapy were included. Review articles, case reports, and in vitro studies were excluded. The data search covers all publications without limitation by year. The last search was conducted on December 31, 2023. An electronic search was performed using the following databases: PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar. The result of this review was in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis guidelines. Assessment of risk of bias was done using the modified Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool. Results: The initial search resulted in 749 articles. Eleven duplicate articles were removed. Following the titles and abstracts screening, 11 articles were identified to form the basis of this systematic review. Three articles were excluded as full text was unavailable. Overall, eight studies evaluated the laser effect in root canal disinfection in pulp regenerative therapy, which were included in this systematic review. Of the included studies, a low risk of bias was shown by 7/8 studies, and a moderate risk of bias was shown by 1/8 studies. Conclusion: Laser can be used for root canal disinfection in cases of regenerative endodontic therapy. There is a need for further RCTs about individual laser groups and their disinfection effect on regenerative endodontic therapy for obtaining a higher level of evidence.