title: Laser-assisted pulpotomy in primary teeth: a systematic review.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this systematic review was to identify high-quality articles comparing laser with conventional pulpotomy procedures, and to assess whether laser treatment may offer an appreciable benefit over conventional approaches.
  
  
  METHODS
  A systematic search was implemented for MEDLINE, WEB of SCIENCE and Cochrane's CENTRAL databases (1980-2012) to identify eligible studies. Two reviewers independently assessed the methodological quality of the articles (Κ = 0.89) using specific study design-related quality assessment forms (Dutch Cochrane Collaboration).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seven articles met the inclusion criteria, of which five randomized control trials (RCT) and two case series (CS), involving Nd:YAG, Er:YAG, CO₂ and 632/980 nm diode lasers. Although heterogeneity between pulpotomy studies was high, odds ratios (OR) were generally <1, indicating that laser is less successful than conventional pulpotomy techniques.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Given the paucity and high heterogeneity of high-quality articles, general recommendations for the clinical use of laser in pulpotomy in primary teeth can yet not be formulated.
authors.affiliation: Oral Biology, Dental School, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: De Coster
authors.forename: Sivaprakash
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rajasekharan
authors.forename: Luc
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Martens
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D053685:Laser Therapy; D011672:Pulpotomy / Q000379:methods*; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D014094:Tooth, Deciduous / Q000601:surgery*