LASER THERAPY: DENTINARY HYPERSENSITIVITY THERAPEUTIC APPROACH IN A PATIENT WITH ENAMEL HYPOPLASIA FROM ACUTE LEUKEMIA

A 12-year-old male patient came to the pediatric dentistry clinic complaining of sensitivity to cold. The patient was affected by acute leukemia before the age of 2 and underwent chemotherapy. Clinically, permanent teeth were almost always affected by enamel hypoplasia, chemotherapy effect, with consequent dental sensitivity, which made it impossible for the patient to eat frozen foods and to withstand any refrigeration necessary for dental treatment. Radiographic examinations confirmed poor enamel formation. Topical applications of varnish were performed for desensitization, with no success. A low-intensity laser therapy approach was performed: 6 weekly sessions, with a wavelength of 808 nm, 100 mW of power, 1 J at a single point in the cervical margin of each tooth for 10 seconds. At each session the patient indicated a number on the pain scale: before the first session he indicated 6, and after the last session he indicated 1.