Tensile test and interface retention forces between wires and composites in lingual fixed retainers.

Introduction: In daily orthodontic clinical practice retention is very important, and lingual retainers are part of this challenge. The failure of lingual retainers may be due to many factors. The aim of this study was to assess the retention forces and mechanical behavior of different types of wires matched with different kinds of composites in lingual retainers.

Effect of diode laser in the treatment of patients with nonspecific chronic low back pain: a randomized controlled trial.

Background Data: Low back pain is a common, highly debilitating condition, whose severity is variable. This study evaluated the efficacy of treatment with Ga-Al-As diode laser (980 nm) with a large diameter spot (32 cm(2)), in association with exercise therapy, in reducing pain.

Objective: The present study aimed to evaluate the pain reduction efficacy of treatment with the Ga-Al-As diode laser (980 nm) in combination with exercise therapy, in patients with chronic low back pain (CLBP).

Clinical and surgical management of odontoma.

Objective And Background: Odontomas are hamartomatous developmental malformations of the dental tissues. We present a retrospective study of recent clinical experience using erbium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Er:YAG) (wavelength 2940 nm) and chromium-doped yttrium scandium gallium garnet lasers (Er,Cr:YSSG) (wavelength 2780 nm) for the surgical treatment of these lesions, and score postsurgical pain.

Materials And Methods: This retrospective study comprised 35 odontomas treated at the Department of Oral Pathology and Laser-Assisted Surgery, San Martino Hospital, University of Genoa, Italy.