Introduction: The golden standard of the treatment of radicular cysts is mainly root canal therapy or surgical excision with apicectomy. The root canals are usually disinfected by the mechanical and chemical actions of instruments and chemical irrigating solutions respectively. To improve the efficacy of the root canal disinfection process, many techniques have been used and many researchers are still trying to reach the quickest and most convenient way to achieve this goal. Diode lasers have shown antibacterial activity on dentinal tubules, and they can penetrate more than 1000 μm into the dentin. Case Presentation: Our patient was a 25-year-old female with an infraorbital abscess caused by a non-vital maxillary canine with periapical radiolucency. After completing the conventional treatment, the optical fiber was inserted into the canal according to the working length previously measured. An 810 nm diode laser at the output power of 4 W was used to irradiate the root canals, with a 300 μm fiber. The patient was free of pain within a few days. The lesion was resolved in radiographic follow-ups, 3 and 6 months after the root canal treatment. Conclusion: A combination of conventional root canal therapy and an 810 nm diode laser is an effective treatment for non-vital teeth with periapical lesions.

Introduction: Pimpinella anisum is a medicinal plant with antimicrobial, antifungal, and anti-oxidative properties. Limited studies have assessed the antibacterial properties of Pimpinella anisum on oral and dental pathogens. Aim: This in vitro study aimed to assess the antibacterial effect of Pimpinella anisum essential oil on Enterococcus faecalis, Lactobacillus casei, Actinomyces naeslundii, and Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans. Materials and methods: After obtaining the essential oil of Pimpinella anisum, its antimicrobial activity was evaluated using the agar disc diffusion test. The minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum bactericidal concentration of the essential oil were also determined; 0.2% chlorhexidine was used as the positive control. Results: The mean diameter of growth inhibition zone was 39 mm for Enterococcus faecalis, 40 mm for Lactobacillus casei, 42 mm for Actinomyces naeslundii, and 18.5 mm for Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans. The mean diameter of the growth inhibition zones for Enterococcus faecalis, Lactobacillus casei, and Actinomyces naeslundii was significantly greater than that of Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans (p=0.001). Also, the mean diameter of the growth inhibition zone of Actinomyces naeslundii was significantly larger than that of Enterococcus faecalis (p=0.05). The minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum bactericidal concentration of the essential oil for Enterococcus faecalis were 4.88% and 4.88%, respectively. These values were 9.76% and 9.76% for Lactobacillus casei, 9.76% and 4.88% for Actinomyces naeslundii, and 9.76% and 9.76% for Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, respectively. Conclusions: Pimpinella anisum essential oil was effective against all four microorganisms evaluated in this study. Since the lowest minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum bactericidal concentration were recorded for Enterococcus faecalis, this essential oil has maximum effects on Enterococcus faecalis. Future clinical studies are required to assess the antimicrobial efficacy of Pimpinella anisum essential oil in clinical samples.

Introduction: It has been demonstrated that laser technology can enhance topical drug absorption. This study aimed to determine the effects of Er,Cr:YSGG laser radiation before the application of topical corticosteroids in the healing of oral lichen planus. Methods: In this double-blind split-mouth clinical trial, 32 lesions were chosen from eight patients affected by oral lichen planus (OLP). The oral lesions were randomly categorized into two groups. The first group had topical treatment with triamcinolone NN ointment and the second group had laser radiation (Er,Cr:YSGG) for eight weeks before starting the ointment. For each lesion, the irritating level based on the VAS score, the lesion level based on the Thongprasom scale score, and the healing time were measured, and the collected data were analyzed by the Friedman test and the Wilcoxon’s statistical test. Results: The mean healing time based on the verbal analog scale (VAS) score was not significantly different between the two treatment groups (P>0.05). The mean healing time based on Thongprasom scale scores did not show any significant difference between the two treatment groups (P>0.05). Conclusion: The application of the Er,Cr:YSGG laser before treatment with triamcinolone NN ointment did not show any advantage for the average healing time compared to a medicine regimen with only triamcinolone NN ointment.

Background: Prevalence of Halitosis includes a variety of 22 up to 50% in different societies. There have been reports of remarkable improvements in Halitosis after Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) treatment. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between oral factors and halitosis in patients suffering from GERD. Methods: This cross-sectional analytical study was conducted on 98 patients (45 females and 53 females) with mean age of 19.4 years whose gastroesophageal reflux was diagnosed by gastroenterologist. Halitosis was detected by organoleptic method. Decayed, Missing, and Filled Teeth (DMFT) was utilized to record the dental status. Oral hygiene was evaluated using the Oral Hygiene Index (OHI-S), Debries Index (DI), Calculus Index (CI), and coated tongue. Data were analyzed by Spearman and Pearson correlation tests. Results: There was not a significant relationship between halitosis and DMFT, OHI-S, and debris index and calculus index, and coated tongue (p>0.01). Also, there was a direct and significant relationship between DI and CI (p<0.01). Conclusion: Based on the results of the present study, there is no relationship between oral factors (debris index, calculus index, oral hygiene index, and DMFT) and halitosis in patients with GERD. Therefore, the presence of halitosis might be attributed to the presence of GERD in these patients.