Low-Level Laser Therapy for Management of Hypersensitivity in Molar-Incisor Hypomineralization and Oral Health-Related Quality of Life: Case Report.

The aim was to report the use low-level laser therapy (LLLT) in the management of hypersensitivity in an adolescent with molar incisor hypomineralization (MIH) and the impact of LLLT on his oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL). Clinical examination revealed severe MIH with hypersensitivity, in all first permanent molars and incisors. The treatment proposed was desensitization with fluoride and esthetic rehabilitation of the affected teeth. Then, LLLT was applied perpendicularly in a continuous mode (wavelength of 808 nm, power of 100 mW, dose of 1 J, and fluence of 35 J/cm2). The visual analogue scale was applied each session of LLLT. The child perceptions questionnaire (CPQ11-14) was administered at the beginning and the end of the treatment. It was concluded that LLLT can be indicated in the management of hypersensitivity in an adolescent with severe MIH to control pain and to improve his OHRQoL.

Protocol for Low-level laser therapy in traumatic ulcer after troncular anesthesia: Case report in pediatric dentistry.

The aim of this study was to report a protocol of use for low-level laser therapy (LLLT) in traumatic ulcer in the lower lip after inferior alveolar nerve block anesthesia (IANBA). A 3-year-old patient, male, undergoing treatment of carious lesions was submitted to an indirect pulp capping in tooth 74 under IANBA. The procedure was completed without intercurrences, but on next day, the child presented extensive traumatic ulcer in the left lower lip, with complaint of pain. Two sequential applications with LLLT were applied in punctual mode under pressure around the lesion. After 1 week, the mother reported significant improvement. After 30 days, the lesion was fully healed. In conclusion, LLLT promoted rapid analgesia and healing, being a good treatment alternative for traumatic ulcer after troncular anesthesia. Key words:Local anesthesia, soft tissue injuries, laser therapy, children.

Influence of examiners' experience on the reproducibility of different gold standard techniques and histological criteria for validation of the diagnosis of occlusal caries lesions.

The aims of this study were to evaluate the influence (1) of the examiner experience and (2) three histological classification criteria on the reproducibility of two gold standard techniques (non-dye or dye) for validation of the diagnosis of occlusal caries. This study comprised a sample of 210 digital images of 105 permanent teeth (105 rhodamine B dyed and 105 dye-free hemisections) and six examiners. Images were evaluated on a laptop computer and categorised according to three different histological classification criteria (proposed by Ekstrand, Lussi or Downer) and repeated in order to allow reproducibility calculation. For data analysis, the six participants were divided into two groups: G1: examiners with previous experience in histological evaluation and G2: examiners with no experience in histological evaluation. Statistical significance was set at 0.05. Results: The mean intra-examiner reproducibility values in G1 were higher than G2 in all variables. Intra-examiner reproducibility was lower for the dye-free technique in both groups. The mean values of inter-examiner reproducibility in G1 ranged from 0.60 to 0.68, and in G2 values ranged from 0.34 to 0.69. Conclusion: It can be concluded that: (1) the examiners' experience seems to influence the reproducibility of the two gold standard techniques studied and reproducibility tends to be lower when the dye-free technique is used, and (2) the histological classification criterion does not appear to influence the reproducibility for validation of the diagnosis of occlusal caries.

Different bacterial models for in vitro induction of non-cavitated enamel caries-like lesions: Microhardness and polarized light miscroscopy analyses.

The aim of this study was to compare different bacterial models for in vitro induction of non-cavitated enamel caries-like lesions by microhardness and polarized light microscopy analyses. One hundred blocks of bovine enamel were randomly divided into four groups (n = 25) according to the bacterial model for caries induction: (A) Streptococcus mutans, (B) S. mutans and Lactobacillus acidophilus, (C) S. mutans and L. casei, and (D) S. mutans, L. acidophilus, and L. casei. Within each group, the blocks were randomly divided into five subgroups according to the duration of the period of caries induction (4-20 days). The enamel blocks were immersed in cariogenic solution containing the microorganisms, which was changed every 48 h. Groups C and D presented lower surface hardness values (SMH) and higher area of hardness loss (ΔS) after the cariogenic challenge than groups A and B (P < 0.05). As regards lesion depth, under polarized light microscopy, group A presented significantly lower values, and groups C and D the highest values. Group B showed a higher value than group A (P < 0.05). Groups A and B exhibited subsurface caries lesions after all treatment durations, while groups C and D presented erosion-type lesions with surface softening. The model using S. mutans, whether or not it was associated with L. acidophilus, was less aggressive and may be used for the induction of non-cavitated enamel caries-like lesions. The optimal period for inducing caries-like lesions was 8 days.