Temperature rise on external root surface during 810- and 970-nm diode laser application in endodontic treatments

Abstract

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the temperature rise on the external root surface during 810- and 970-nm diode laser application. Methods: Thirty-six single-rooted mandibular premolar teeth were employed. All of the root canals were prepared at 1 mm short of the apical foramen; after working length determination, each root canal was prepared using ProTaper Universal instruments. The roots were randomly divided into 2 groups of 18 specimens in each. A 810-nm diode laser in group 1 and 970-nm diode laser in group 2 were used with continuous mode and 1.5 W parameters. The temperature elevations were measured with an infrared thermographic camera during 810- and 970-nm diode laser irradiation. Data were analyzed statistically using Kruskal–Wallis and Tukey’s tests. Results: No significant difference was obtained among the 810- and 970-nm diode laser groups according to the temperature changes (P > 0.05). Temperature rise values in all the teeth were detected below 10 °C. Conclusion: Within the limitations of this in vitro study, the 810- and 970-nm diode laser irradiation is a safe supported treatment option when considering the temperature elevation on the external root surface and these lasers can be safely used for endodontic treatments at the investigated parameters. The peak temperature was below the critical value.