Direct pulp capping (DPC) is coverage of exposed pulp by a biocompatible material after traumatic or carious exposure. The purpose of this procedure is to seal this spot against bacterial leakage, stimulate dentinal barrier formation, and maintain the vitality of the pulp. Several factors contribute to the consequence of this treatment, such as the kind of material used and the procedural technique. The aim of this study was to evaluate histologically the outcome of DPC using three methods. Thirty-six canine teeth of nine cats were selected for this experiment. After the cats had been anesthetized, the teeth were exposed under sterile condition. The teeth were randomly divided into three groups. In group I, the exposed pulp was covered with mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) alone. In group II, the pulp, after being treated with erbium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet (Er:YAG) laser (energy = 200 mJ, pulse duration = 700 micros, repetition rate = 3 Hz, exposure time = 15 s, no air, no water, beam diameter = 0.6 mm), was covered with MTA. In group III, the pulp was treated with laser and covered with calcium hydroxide [Ca(OH)(2)]. All cavities were filled with amalgam after DPC. After 4 months, the animals were sacrificed and block sections were prepared. The specimens were histologically evaluated. The data were analyzed by Mann-Whitney and chi-square tests. Dentinal barrier had formed in all groups. The laser + MTA group showed little superiority to the other groups in dentinal barrier formation, type and intensity of inflammatory responses, and soft tissue changes, especially necrosis, but these differences were not statistically significant (P > 0.05). We concluded that laser + MTA produced better healing. According to the conditions in this study, Er:YAG laser could be used in direct pulp capping treatment in combination with both common materials.

Background: Dental anxiety has negative effects on dentists' pain management. Patients have different levels of pain tolerance. Therefore, providing psychological interventions can reduce treatment avoidance and promote oral health. This study compared the effect of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) on pain coping strategies and pain perception intensity in patients with dental anxiety. Materials and Methods: This clinical trial with a pretest–posttest control group design and a 3-month follow-up period was performed on 45 patients with dental anxiety. They were randomly selected by convenience sampling method and assigned to two experimental groups and one control group. The first experimental group underwent 10 sessions of ACT, the second experimental group underwent 10 sessions of CBT, and the control group underwent oral care training. Data were collected by the Rosenstiel and Keefe's Coping Strategies Questionnaire and McGill Pain Questionnaire and analyzed by SPSS (version 24) software. The considered significance level is 0.05. Results: The results showed no significant difference between ACT and CBT in pain coping strategies and pain perception intensity (P < 0.05) but indicated a significant difference between the treatment groups and the control group. Moreover, the results showed a significant difference between posttest and follow-up and pretest in pain coping strategies and pain perception intensity (P < 0.01) but indicated no significant difference between posttest and follow-up (P < 0.05). Conclusion: ACT and CBT can play an important role in the sustainable improvement of pain coping strategies and pain perception intensity in patients with dental anxiety.

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