The aim of this study is to verify the quantitative and qualitative effect of Erbium dental laser therapy on microbial populations in carious lesions and to compare the laser therapy with traditional conservative therapies.
Patients will be assessed and selected at the University Odontostomatology Clinic (COU) in Perugia; patients are considered eligible for enrolment if they are at least 18 years old and have a carious lesion on permanent teeth, cavitated and non-destructive, deepening to the middle third of the dentine and no further. The patients will be randomly assigned to two groups as follows: group A, control group, which includes treatment with traditional therapy; group B, intervention group, which includes treatment with Er:YAG laser therapy. For each patient, two salivary swabs will be taken on the cavity dentine of the carious lesion: one before and one after the treatments.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
DOUBLE
Enrollment
33
Selected Er:YAG settings: "enamel removal" program for adult, with "normal" modality (frequency: 20 Hz, energy: 400 mJ, power: 8.0 W, air: 80%, water: 60%) and "dentin removal" program for adult, with "normal" modality (frequency: 20 Hz, energy: 200 mJ, power: 4.0 W, air: 90%, water: 30%)
University Dental Clinic (C.O.U., Centro Odontostomatologico Universitario) of the University of Perugia
Perugia, Italy
Comparison of microbial load change after Er:YAG and conventional treatments
Swabbing of two samples from the cavity floor of lesions: before any treatment and after treatments (laser and traditional). Quantitative evaluation of the microbial population, in terms of Colony Forming Unit (CFU) by seeding the swabs taken in various types of media (Chocolate Agar, CNA Agar, Haemophilus Agar, Sabouraud, McConkey Agar, Shaedler Agar) and analysing the changes from baseline CFUs before any treatment and after Er:YAG laser and conventional therapies (control group and intervention group), comparing the effects of the two different types of treatment .
Time frame: Measuring before any treatment and after treatments, through study completion, an average of 6 months
Comparison of the effects of Er:YAG and conventional therapy in modifying the reduction of specific microbial species through mass spectrometry typing
Qualitative evaluation of the microbial species grown by mass spectrometry typing (MALDI TOF MS, Biomèrieux) of colonies freshly collected on culture plates, and analysis of the changes from baseline growth before any treatment and after Er:YAG laser and conventional therapies (control group and intervention group), comparing the effects on the growth of specific microbial populations of the two different types of treatment .
Time frame: Measuring before any treatment and after treatments, through study completion, an average of 6 months
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