Shockwave Therapy No Effect on Pulpal Blood Flow in Orthodontic Patients, Study Shows
Title of study: Effect of extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) on pulpal blood flow after orthodontic treatment: a randomized clinical trial
Authors: Frank Falkensammer, Wolfgang Schaden, Christoph Krall, Josef Freudenthaler, Hans-Peter Bantleon
Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy (ESWT) is a non-invasive treatment that uses high-intensity sound waves to stimulate healing and reduce pain in various parts of the body. A recent study investigated the effect of ESWT on pulpal blood flow in orthodontic patients who have undergone active treatment.
The study included 72 adult patients who were randomly assigned to either an active treatment group or a placebo group. The active treatment group received a single shockwave treatment while the placebo group was treated with a deactivated shockwave applicator but acoustic sham. Pulpal blood flow was evaluated four times over a period of 6 months using a laser Doppler device.
The results showed that there was no significant difference in pulpal blood flow between the two groups over the 6-month period. Shockwave treatment had no unintended negative effects on the patients’ teeth or overall health.
These findings suggest that ESWT may not be an effective treatment for pulpal blood flow in orthodontic patients. However, the absence of any adverse effects justifies further investigations of the use of shockwave treatment in the oral cavity.
ESWT has been used in other medical fields to treat conditions such as musculoskeletal disorders and kidney stones. This study adds to the growing body of research on the use of ESWT in dentistry and oral medicine.