Given the suffering experienced by cancer patients, effective solutions must be found to prevent painful and debilitating side effects of anti-cancer treatment. This trial aims to study the effect of preconditioning with photobiomodulation in preventing oral mucositis and xerostomia in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy alone for the first time, and to examine its role in improving patients’ quality of life. This is a prospective, randomized, double-blind clinical trial including 45 patients divided into three age- and sex-matched groups. Group 1 received basic oral care instructions before undergoing chemotherapy. Group 2 received basic oral care instructions plus photobiomodulation using an intraoral 650 nm diode laser. Group 3 received basic oral care instructions plus photobiomodulation using a 650 nm diode laser intraorally and a 980 nm diode laser extraorally. After one week of follow-up, 73.3% of patients in Group 2 and 80% in Group 3 did not develop oral mucositis. The remaining patients in both groups experienced only mild erythema. In contrast, all patients in Group 1 developed oral mucositis, ranging from mild erythema to ulceration greater than 3 cm². After two weeks of follow-up, 80% of patients in Group 2 and 86.7% in Group 3 remained free of oral mucositis. The remaining patients in both groups experienced only mild erythema. In contrast, 93.3% of patients in Group 1 developed oral mucositis, with cases ranging from mild erythema to ulcers larger than 3 cm². There were statistically significant differences between the three groups in oral mucositis assessment scale after one week and after two weeks (p < 0.001). Specifically, ulcerative mucositis was not observed in both laser groups, while it was observed in 13.3% of patients in Group 1. However, these differences were not statistically significant (p = 0.129). Regarding Late Effects in Normal Tissue (LENT-SOMA) scale, there was a statistically significant difference between the three groups studied (p = 0.037). There was also a statistically significant difference in the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14) between the three groups studied (p = 0.003 after one week, p = 0.023 after two weeks). Preconditioning before starting chemotherapy, whether with the intraoral red laser alone or in combination with the extraoral infrared laser, has shown significant results in preventing oral mucositis and dry mouth, and it has also played a major role in improving patients’ quality of life. This trial was registered in ISRCTN registry under no ISRCTN70634383 ( https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN70634383 ) on 24/07/2023.

Background: Oral mucositis is a common and distressing side effect of head and neck oncology treatment. Photobiomodulation therapy can be utilized to prevent and treat oral mucositis. Its impact on salivary cytokines has yet to be thoroughly investigated. This is the first systematic review aiming to evaluate the effect of photobiomodulation on salivary cytokines in patients undergoing anticancer treatment. Methods: Numerous data resources, from the Web of Science, Embase, ScienceDirect, PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Scopus were sought. Articles published up until February 2024 were included if they met the following inclusion criteria: clinical trials reporting the effect on salivary cytokines in patients undergoing anticancer therapy. The methodological quality was assessed using several appraisal tools. Results: Four studies were deemed eligible for inclusion. All the studies were conducted in Brazil and used an InGaAlP diode laser with a wavelength of 660 nm. The included studies had a relatively low risk of bias. The head and neck cancer patients’ salivary cytokines that were assessed by the studies, along with photobiomodulation therapy, included IL-12p70, TNF-α, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, CXCL8, and IL-1β. The results varied among the studies. Conclusions: Our results show that photobiomodulation demonstrated positive results for reducing the severity of OM in all the included studies. Among the examined salivary cytokines, IL-6 is the most relevant cytokine for oral mucositis development and severity. A variation in the cytokine levels between the studies was noted due to differences in the type of anticancer treatment and saliva sampling.

This study is the first to use photodynamic therapy (PDT) mediated by curcumin and blue light for the treatment of recurrent herpes labialis. According to our study, PDT effectively accelerated lesion healing and reduced its recurrence. PDT may represent a promising, safe, and cost‐effective treatment option for this challenging disease.

Background: Lasers have demonstrated their potential as an effective alternative to the scalpel for gingivectomy procedures. Therefore, it is essential to evaluate their efficacy and safety. This article summarizes human studies comparing the effectiveness of laser-assisted gingivectomy with conventional surgical methods. Methods: A comprehensive electronic search was conducted in Cochrane, PubMed/MEDLINE, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar using the terms “Gingivectomy”, “Gingivoplasty”, “Crown lengthening”, “Gingival surgery”, and “LASER” to identify human studies that compared laser-assisted gingivectomy with traditional surgical methods up until December 2022. The inclusion criteria were as follows: English language, use of laser as the primary treatment tool, and study designs including randomized controlled trials, controlled clinical trials, clinical trials, and comparative studies. Results: Twenty-two studies met the inclusion criteria and were analyzed. Diode lasers (810–940 nm) and Erbium, chromium-doped yttrium scandium gallium garnet laser (Er,Cr:YSGG) lasers caused less postoperative pain than conventional flap surgery, while the neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd:YAG) laser resulted in higher initial pain. The diode 808 nm laser yielded mixed results—one study reported pain levels comparable to those of scalpels, while another noted reduced pain with laser use. However, one study indicated greater use of analgesics in laser-treated patients, suggesting increased discomfort. Lasers, particularly carbon dioxide (CO2) and diode 810 nm lasers, provided superior hemostasis compared to scalpels, with the Er,Cr:YSGG laser in flapless osteotomy minimizing bleeding. Additionally, no sutures were required in the laser-treated groups. The stability of the gingival margins after laser treatment was found to be similar to that of the scalpel. Discussion: All lasers discussed in this article can be safely and effectively used for gingivectomy as an alternative to conventional surgical methods. Laser treatment demonstrated superior clinical outcomes in terms of pain, patient satisfaction, hemostasis, recovery period, and periodontal health.

This case report documents the successful endodontic retreatment of a mandibular first molar exhibiting four mesial root canals in a 20-year-old male patient—an exceptionally rare anatomical configuration. Following the extraction of the perforated distal root, careful clinical exploration revealed two supplementary canals demonstrating apical convergence with the primary canals. The treatment protocol incorporated ultrasonically activated irrigation, precision rotary instrumentation, and warm vertical compaction obturation with bioceramic sealer. This case underscores the critical importance of thorough anatomical exploration in complex root canal systems.