Clinical and radiographic evaluation of Ga-Al-As diode in immature permanent mandibular first molars direct pulp capping: A 12-month randomized controlled clinical trial

Abstract

ABSTRACT Aim: The purpose of this randomized controlled clinical trial is to investigate the effect of Ga-Al-As Laser, a type of low-level laser therapy (LLLT), on the pulp exposure of immature permanent mandibular first molars treated with direct pulp capping with mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) in comparison to teeth treated with the same previous capping material without laser in terms of clinical and radiographic signs. Materials and Methods: Thirty carious immature permanent mandibular first molars free of endodontic symptoms were obtained from healthy children aged 6–9 years. The study was planned to cap half of the samples with MTA, while the other halves were subjected to laser therapy, followed by standard MTA capping. Assessment was performed at three separate times: immediately following the procedure (T0), after 6 months (T1), and after 12 months (T2). Results: The collected data were analyzed with SPSS version “24.” The results were evaluated using a two-tailed t-test with a significance level of 0.05 for correlated samples. Teeth treated with LLLT demonstrated improved apical development during the first 6 months, as well as superior analgesic characteristics throughout the first 12 h following the surgery, as compared to MTA alone. Conclusion: In addition to its analgesic and antibacterial properties, LLLT may assist immature teeth in completing the apical development process.