Laser pulpotomy—an effective alternative to conventional techniques—a systematic review of literature and meta-analysis

The aim of this systematic review and subsequent meta-analysis was to elaborate the efficacy of laser pulpotomy over the formocresol pulpotomy of human primary teeth. Published materials in the MedLine were looked for through “PUBMED” and “PUBMED CENTRAL”. The MESH terms of “Laser”, “Pulpotomy”, “Primary teeth”, and “Children” were used to carry the search from the years 1999 to 2017. Collected data were assessed by four investigators using inclusion and exclusion criteria in order to select those studies with precise method targeted. Only clinical trials on all types of lasers were included for this systematic reviews but only four articles were used for the meta-analysis as the rest did not meet the requirements. Statistical analysis was conducted to see the differences. Seventeen articles completely fulfilled the inclusion criteria of this study. In general, high clinical, radiographic, and histopathological success rates were reported in laser groups in comparison to other assessed methods. Meta-analysis indicated that except at 36 months, in all other time intervals, Laser proved better or close results to formocresol. At 36 months, laser showed better clinical results. Laser may be considered as an adjuvant alternative for vital pulp therapy on human primary teeth but due to the limited number of high-quality clinical research articles on laser-assisted pulpotomy, various types of laser application methods, and different follow-up periods, reaching a net consensus is still challenging.