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Pulsed Nd:YAG laser application to one-visit treatment of infected root canals in dogs: a histopathological study
K Koba1, Y Kimura, K Matsumoto
1Department of Endodontics, Showa University School of Dentistry, Tokyo, Japan.
Objective:
In this study, the effects of pulsed Nd:YAG laser irradiation during root canal treatment of infected teeth were investigated histopathologically in dogs.
Summary Background Data:
Effects of Nd:YAG laser on infected root canal treatment have not been reported in vivo.
Methods:
One hundred thirty-five teeth with a single root, including incisors and premolars, in 15 healthy adult beagle-strain dogs were used in this study. After inducing infection in the teeth, each root canal was shaped with at least a # 40 K-file, then the canal was irradiated using the following parameters: 1 W, 30 pps for 1 and 2 sec; 2 W, 30 pps for 1 and 2 sec. Efficacy of debris removal and evaporation on the root canal walls at 2 weeks, and the degree of inflammation of the periapical region at 2, 4, and 8 weeks after laser irradiation were examined histopathologically by light microscopy.
Results:
Effective debris removal was observed in all cases of the laser-treated groups. No evaporation was observed except at the conditions of 2 W for 2 sec. Inflammation of periapical region in the laser-treated groups was similar in the control group at 2 weeks, but was significantly less than that in the control group at 8 weeks (p < 0.05).
Conclusion:
These results suggest that pulsed Nd:YAG laser is useful for one-visit root canal treatment of infected teeth in dogs, if appropriate parameters are selected, and this is a potential therapy for human apical lesions of teeth.