Virtual Journal of Laser

BRONJ (bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of jaws) is a frequently encountered disease, particularly in the maxillofacial
region, and a consequence of bisphosphonate use. Treatment of BRONJ remains controversial, as efficiency of medical and surgical
approaches as well as a combination of these methods with supportive treatments have not been clearly demonstrated in the
literature. In recent years, laser usage alone or in combination with the main therapy methods, has become popular for the
treatment of bisphosphonate-related osteo-necrosis of jaws. In this article, we present the successful management of two dental
patients who had high potentials for BRONJ development as a result of chemo and radiotherapy combined with IV zoledronic acid
application. Multiple consecutive teeth extractions followed with primary wound closure and LLLT applications were performed
under high doses of antibiotics prophylaxis. Satisfactory wound healing in both the surrounding soft and hard tissues was
achieved.

Since the early 1990s, lasers have been used experimentally for debonding ceramic brackets. Lasers reduce the required debonding
force and risk of enamel damage. However, the thermal effect during the laser radiation on dental tissues can cause undesirable
results. The aim of this study is to develop a laser debonding technique for ceramic brackets that is better than mechanical
debonding and also to minimize the side-effects of laser applications. A new fiber laser (1,070-nm ytterbium fiber laser)
was tested, debonding procedure was quantified with a universal testing machine, and intrapulpal temperature was monitored
for limiting the injury or pain. Experiments were performed in two sections according to the type of lasing mode: continuous
wave (CW) and modulated mode. In continuous wave (CW) mode, a laser was applied on samples with different constant power levels
continuously. In the second set of experiments, brackets were irradiated in modulated mode, in which the laser energy was
delivered with on-and-off cycles.

Endovenous laser ablation (EVLA) produces boiling bubbles emerging from pores within the hot fiber tip and traveling over
a distal length of about 20 mm before condensing. This evaporation-condensation mechanism makes the vein act like a heat pipe,
where very efficient heat transport maintains a constant temperature, the saturation temperature of 100°C, over the volume
where these non-condensing bubbles exist. During EVLA the above-mentioned observations indicate that a venous cylindrical
volume with a length of about 20 mm is kept at 100°C. Pullback velocities of a few mm/s then cause at least the upper part
of the treated vein wall to remain close to 100°C for a time sufficient to cause irreversible injury. In conclusion, we propose
that the mechanism of action of boiling bubbles during EVLA is an efficient heat-pipe resembling way of heating of the vein
wall.

Many studies in the literature address the effect of low-power lasers in the management of pathologies related to periodontal
tissues. Due to the lack of standardized information and the absence of a consensus, this review presents the current status
of laser phototherapy (LPT) in periodontics and discusses its benefits and limits in the treatment of periodontal disease.
The literature was searched for reviews and original research articles relating to LPT and periodontal disease. The articles
were selected using either electronic search engines or manual tracing of the references cited in key papers. The literature
search retrieved references on wound and bone healing, analgesia, hypersensitivity, inflammatory process and antimicrobial
photodynamic therapy. Each topic is individually addressed in this review. The current literature suggests that LPT is effective
in modulating different periodontal disease aspects in vitro, in animals, and in simple clinical models.

The domestic market for home-use hair removal devices is rapidly expanding and there are numerous intense pulsed light (IPL)
products now available globally to consumers. Technological challenges for the design of such devices include the need to
be cost-effective in mass production, easy to use without training, and most importantly, clinically effective while being
eye-safe. However inexpensively these light-based systems are produced, they are designed to cause biological damage to follicular
structures, so precautions to prevent both ocular and epidermal damage must be considered. At present, there are no dedicated
international standards for IPL devices. This review directly compares three leading domestic IPL hair removal devices: iPulse
Personal (CyDen, UK), Silk'n/SensEpil (Home Skinovations, Israel), and SatinLux/Lumea (Philips, Netherlands) for fluence,
emitted wavelength spectrum, time-resolved footprint, and spatial distribution of energy.

The simultaneous need for infection-control protocols in sample preparations and for safe laser irradiation parameters prompted
this study about the effects of heat produced by both sample sterilization and laser etching on dentin components. The dentin
was exposed on 30 bovine incisors, and then divided into two main groups: autoclaved (group A) or thymol treatment (group
B). The surface of the dentin was schematically divided into four areas, with each one corresponding to a treatment subgroup.
The specimens were either etched with phosphoric acid (control-CG) or irradiated with Er:YAG laser (subgroups: I-80 mJ, II-120 mJ,
and III-180 mJ). Elemental distribution maps were done by energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence (μ-EDXRF) on each treatment
area. The dentin surface in depth was exposed and line-scan maps were performed. The B_CG treatment produced the best distribution
of calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P) content throughout the dentin surface. Er:YAG laser etching produced irregular patterns
of elemental distribution in the dentin.

Gold-coated silica core nanoparticles have an optical response dictated by the plasmon resonance (PR). The wavelength at which
the resonance occurs depends on the core and shell size, allowing nanoshells to be tailored for particular applications. The
purpose of this study is to synthesize and use different concentrations of gold nanoshells as exogenous material for in-vitro
skin tissue soldering and also to examine the effect of laser-soldering parameters on the properties of repaired skin. Two
mixtures of albumin solder and different concentrations of gold nanoshells were prepared. A full-thickness incision of 2 × 20 mm² was made on the surface and after addition of mixtures it was irradiated by an 810-nm diode laser at different power densities.
The changes of tensile strength σ_t due to temperature rise, number of scan (N_s), and scan velocity (V_s) were investigated.

The ideal treatment in severe obstructive allergic rhinitis unresponsive to standard therapy is lacking. This study aimed
to evaluate the efficacy of endonasal corrective laser surgery in perennial (pAR) and seasonal (sAR) allergic rhinitis. Forty
subjects (20 pAR, 20 sAR) underwent videoendoscopic diode laser surgery. Examinations were performed preoperatively and at
follow-ups 1, 12, and 24 months after surgery, including objective parameters (rhinomanometry, videoendoscopy, allergy tests)
and subjective visual analog scales (evaluation of surgery, satisfaction, allergic symptoms). Of all patients, 95% received
inferior turbinate, 40% septal, and 15% middle turbinate surgery. Postoperatively, two subjects showed considerable residual
symptomatology (95% response rate). Throughout follow-up, objective rhinomanomety and subjective scores for nasal obstruction,
rhinorrhea, sneezing, itching, and overall satisfaction improved significantly with time (p < 0.0005).

The aim of this study was to evaluate low-level laser therapy in cervical dentin hypersensitivity. A randomized controlled
clinical trial was conducted with a total of 64 teeth. Dentin desensitizer and diode laser were applied on the cervical dentin
surfaces. Distilled water and placebo laser was used as the placebo groups. The irradiance used was 4 J/cm² per treatment site. The baseline measurement of hypersensitivity was made by using visual analog scale (VAS). Twenty-four
hours and 7 days after the application of desensitizer, diode laser and placebo groups, a new VAS analysis was conducted for
the patients’ sensitivity level. The mean pain scores of placebo groups were significantly higher than the desensitizer’s
and diode laser’s mean scores (ANOVA, p < 0.05). The VAS analysis revealed a significant decrease in dentin hypersensitivity in 7 days with the use of the desensitizer
and low-level laser therapy and no statistically significant difference was observed between these two treatments (p > 0.05).

The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of different surface treatments (air abrasion, acid etching, and laser
irradiation) on the surface roughness and bond strength of a low fusing ceramic. Thirty-six discs of low fusing ceramic (Finesse,
Ceramco) were prepared (10 mm in diameter and 2 mm in thickness) according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Specimens were
divided into three groups (n = 12), and the following treatments were performed: Air abrasion with alumina particles (50 μm), acid etching with 5% HF
and Nd:YAG laser irradiation (distance: 1 mm, 100 mJ, 20 Hz, 2 W, and 141.54 J/cm²). Following determination of surface roughness (R_a) by profilometry, specimens were examined with scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The luting cement (Clearfil Esthetic Cement)
was bonded to the ceramic specimens using Teflon tubes. After 24 h of water storage, shear bond strength test was performed
using a universal testing machine at a crosshead speed of 1 mm/min.