A Histopathological and Immunohistochemical Study of Dental Pulp and Pulpal Nerve Fibers in Rats After the Cavity Preparation Using Er:YAG Laser

The purpose of this study was to investigate histopathological changes in the dental pulp after Er:YAG laser irradiation compared with those after high-speed drill preparation. For evaluation, repair of nerve fibers was observed using an immunohistochemical technique. There was no significant difference between the remaining dentin thickness in either cases. (Mann-Whitney U test). In the Er:YAG laser group a marked fibroblast proliferation and the formation of reparative dentin were observed relative to the high-speed drill group. The time course of the increase and decrease in calcitonin gene-related peptide-immunoreactive fibers in the high-speed drill group was similar to that of previous reports. In the Er:YAG laser group an increase in calcitonin gene-related peptide-immunoreactive fibers was seen earlier than in the high-speed drill group, and 7 days after operation these fibers decreased to control level. The results suggested that the Er:YAG laser leads to pulpal repair earlier than the high-speed drill.