lasers in dentistry: is it really safe?

Introduction: Lasers are used in various disciplines in dentistry such as restorative dentistry, endodontics, periodontics, pedodontics, and oral and maxillofacial surgery. Despite many advantages of dental lasers, this method might have some adverse effects. The aim of this review article is to debate about the impacts of lasers on orodental tissues. Methods: An electronic search was accomplished using specialized databases such as Google Scholar, PubMed, PubMed Central, Science Direct, and Scopus to find relevant studies by using keywords such as “laser”, “dentistry”, “adverse effect”, and “side effect”. Results: Several adverse effects of laser were identified such as impacts on dental pulp, effects on tooth surface, subcutaneous and submucosal effects, histopathological changes, and infection transmission due to laser smoke. During dental procedures, necrosis of the pulp, periodontal ligament and odontoblasts, cemental lysis, bone resorption, hypo/hyperpigmentation, burns, itching, and scarring might occur. In addition, laser can weaken the dentin by inducing surface cracks. Restorative procedures by laser might increase microleakage and decrease shear bond strength, as well as microhardness of tooth walls. Meanwhile, laser surgery might cause emphysema after abscess incision and drainage, frenectomy, flap elevation, and gingivoplasty. Conclusion: Practitioners should be very cautious in treatment planning and case selection during laser-based therapeutic procedures.