Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42243813›Full record

Trial reportBMC oral health2026

Efficacy of Er:YAG laser in removal of impacted mandibular third molars (a randomized controlled clinical trial).

Karim A Elhaw, Ahmed A Abdelhakim, Arnabat Dominguez J, Riham M Eldibany, España Tost A

Registry-linked trialAbstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in BMC oral health, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT07297043 (Efficacy of Er), which is not on this map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT07297043 nacompletednot on this map

Efficacy of Er:YAG Laser in Removal of Impacted Mandibular Third Molars (A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial)

TypeinterventionalSponsorAlexandria UniversityRan2024 to 2025Enrolled24ConditionsImpacted Mandibular Third MolarArmsEr:YAG laser, Conventional Rotary Instruments Surgery
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Karim A ElhawOral Laser Applications Department, Faculty of Dentistry, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt. Karim.Nazmy.dent@alexu.edu.eg.
Ahmed A AbdelhakimProsthodontics Department, Faculty of Dentistry, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt.
Arnabat Dominguez JOral Surgery, Faculty of Dentistry, Barcelona University, Barcelona, Spain.
Riham M EldibanyOral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Faculty of Dentistry, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt.
España Tost AOral Surgery and Implantology, University of Barcelona Dental School, Researcher of the IDIBELL Institute, Barcelona, Spain.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundRemoval of impacted mandibular third molars is associated with postoperative discomfort and delayed bone healing. Er:YAG laser osteotomy has been proposed as a minimally invasive alternative to conventional rotary instrumentation.

aimTo compare Er:YAG laser osteotomy and conventional rotary osteotomy regarding postoperative radiographic bone density and clinical healing outcomes following impacted mandibular third molar removal (pain, edema, and trismus).

methodsTwenty-four patients (n = 24) were randomized equally (laser n = 12; rotary n = 12). CBCT scans were obtained preoperatively and at 3 months for voxel-based grayscale bone density assessment. Standardized 3D ellipsoid VOIs were used. A single trained examiner performed all CBCT measurements twice, two weeks apart (ICC > 0.90). Postoperative pain, edema, and trismus were clinically assessed.

resultsImmediate postoperative bone density showed no significant difference between groups (p = 0.319). At 3 months, bone density was significantly higher in the laser group compared with the rotary group (median: 310.7 vs. 270.0; p = 0.017), with a moderate effect size (r = 0.477). Bone density significantly increased over time in both groups (p = 0.002), with a significantly greater increase observed in the laser group (p = 0.017). Pain scores on day 2 were significantly lower in the laser group (p = 0.020). Edema and trismus showed significant improvement over time within both groups, with no statistically significant differences between groups. Operation time was significantly longer in the laser group.

conclusionEr:YAG laser osteotomy was associated with lower postoperative pain and higher radiographic grayscale values at 3 months compared with rotary osteotomy. Edema and trismus improved over time in both groups, with no significant differences between the two techniques. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Er:YAG laser may improve patient comfort by reducing postoperative pain and may be associated with improved radiographic bone healing. However, further studies are needed to confirm its long-term effects on bone density.

trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov (Identifier: NCT07297043). Registered 09 December 2025 (retrospective).

Indexed as

Lasers, Solid-StateLaser TherapyMolar, ThirdOsteotomyTooth ExtractionTooth, ImpactedAdultBone DensityCone-Beam Computed TomographyEdemaFemaleHumansMaleMandiblePostoperative PainTreatment OutcomeBone healingBone removalEr:YAG laserImpacted mandibular third molarsPostoperative complications

Identifiers

PMID42243813
PMCPMC13270853

What Socratic holds

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Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.