Lasers in Dentinal Hypersensitivity

Sensitive teeth are a rather common clinical problem for which several treatment options have been tested. Laser has been investigated as one of the possible therapies to minimize pain by either obliterating dentinal tubules or promoting dental analgesia. Although several studies have detected the beneficial effects after laser irradiation of hypersensitive dentin, still many unclear variables remains questionable. Few studies conducted controlled double-blinded randomized trials, despite the fact that hypersensitivity clinical trials are particularly influenced by placebo effects, even when traditional techniques are used. Additionally, few follow-ups have been performed to prove long-term effectiveness of laser therapy. Diagnosis of etiological factors and modification of habits do need to be commented as important factors related to therapy success. More studies are required to compare laser irradiation effects to conventional treatments. It is reviewed that, lasers have promising effects for the treatment of dentinal hypersensitivity but more randomised clinical trials are required to be conducted taking into account the variables influencing dentinal hypersensitivity.