Application, Efficacy, and Future Prospects of Lasers in Dentistry: A Narrative Review

Ahmed, Anam; Shanta, Kamrun Nahar; Mannan, Huda

doi:10.5281/zenodo.17750970

Published July 2022 | Version v1

Journal article Open

Application, Efficacy, and Future Prospects of Lasers in Dentistry: A Narrative Review

1. Associate Professor (CC), Department of Dental Public Health, University Dental College & Hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
2. Associate Professor (CC), Department of Conservative Dentistry & Endodontics, University Dental College, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
3. Assistant Professor, Department of Pedodontics, University Dental College & Hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Contributors

Contact person:

Ahmed, Anam¹

1. Associate Professor (CC), Department of Dental Public Health, University Dental College & Hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh. Email: dph.udc@gmail.com

Abstarct

Background: Lasers are gaining popularity in all fields of dentistry due to their ability to provide patients with a minimally invasive option for many procedures. The different physical characteristics and wavelengths of the lasers allow selective and efficient interaction with the hard and soft tissues of the oral cavity, improving the quality of care and comfort of the patients.
Objective: The aim of this study was to conduct an overview of the literature with respect to lasers in Clinical Dentistry, their mechanism and benefits, limitations and lacunae, clinical efficacy and future prospects.
Methods: An extensive search was conducted in the PubMed, and Google Scholar for human studies in English on the topic dental lasers, published between January 2017 to October 2021. The studies were filtered based on their relevance to the application, efficacy and safety in dentistry. Due to the variations in studies and results a narrative synthesis was conducted on the data.
Findings: Lasers have many applications in periodontology (gingivectomies, pocket decontamination), endodontics (root canal laser disinfection), restorative dentistry (removal of decay, cavity preparation), oral surgery (biopsy, hemostasis), orthodontics (reshaping of soft tissues), prosthodontics (management of soft tissues), pediatric dentistry (less invasive techniques), and biostimulation (pain relief, healing of tissues). There is evidence showing advantages of lasers (e.g., precision, less bleeding, faster healing). However, advantages of lasers over traditional techniques may be somewhat small and are dependent on the protocols used. Disadvantages of lasers include high costs, need for specialized training, and inconsistent results. Planned protocols are necessary to mitigate risks. There is a lack of research on long-term results, cost per use, and uniform use of procedures.
Conclusion: Lasers have proven usefulness in some procedures and are a good addition to the practice of dentistry. More research on cost and other factors should be completed to allow a wider use of lasers in practice.