Comparative Efficacy of Er:YAG Laser and Dental Turbine in Pediatric Dentistry: A Systematic Review
Gianna Dipalma, Angelo Michele Inchingolo, Paola Nardelli, Lucia Casamassima, Danilo Ciccarese, Paolo De Sena, Francesco Inchingolo, Andrea Palermo, Grazia Marinelli, Alessio Danilo Inchingolo
TL;DR
This review compares Er:YAG lasers and dental turbines for treating cavities in children, finding lasers reduce pain and anxiety but take longer.
Contribution
The study systematically evaluates erbium lasers versus conventional tools in pediatric dentistry, focusing on patient comfort and restorative outcomes.
Findings
Er:YAG lasers reduce intraoperative pain and anxiety in children compared to dental turbines.
Laser treatment increases child acceptance and reduces the need for local anesthesia.
Restorative outcomes for laser-prepared cavities are comparable to bur-prepared ones in the short term.
Abstract
Aim: This systematic review compared erbium lasers (Er:YAG/Er,Cr:YSGG) with conventional rotary instruments (dental turbine/high-speed handpiece) for caries removal and cavity preparation in pediatric dentistry, focusing on patient-centered outcomes and short-term restorative performance. Methods: Following PRISMA guidance, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched for studies published between January 2010 and November 2025. Eligible studies were in vivo/human investigations in children with carious primary teeth comparing erbium laser versus rotary instrumentation. Results: Eleven studies met the inclusion criteria. Across the included trials, erbium laser treatment was consistently associated with reduced intraoperative pain and improved comfort, often accompanied by lower anxiety indicators and higher child acceptance compared with rotary preparation. Several studies also…
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Taxonomy
TopicsLaser Applications in Dentistry and Medicine · Dental Health and Care Utilization · Dental Anxiety and Anesthesia Techniques