Effectiveness of Diode Laser Treatment in Managing Dentin Hypersensitivity in Vietnamese Adults: A Six-Month Prospective Study.

Background: Dentin hypersensitivity (DH) is a prevalent oral complaint that negatively affects patients' quality of life. Although various desensitising agents exist, their effect is often short‑lived. Diode laser irradiation has been proposed as a minimally invasive alternative. This study aims to evaluate the short‑ and medium‑term effectiveness and safety of 810‑nm diode laser therapy for cervical DH in Vietnamese adults. Materials and Methods: This prospective single-arm clinical study included 57 patients contributing 180 hypersensitive teeth with Smith and Knight tooth-wear scores of 1-2. Sensitive teeth were treated with an 810-nm diode laser at 0.5 W in continuous-wave mode using a standardized non-contact protocol. Pain intensity was assessed using a 10-cm visual analogue scale (VAS) at baseline, immediately after treatment, and at 1, 3, and 6 months. Baseline-to-follow-up comparisons were performed using paired analyses. Results: Mean VAS scores decreased immediately after treatment and remained lower than baseline at all follow-up time points. The reduction was most pronounced at 3 months and remained clinically relevant at 6 months. Greater absolute reductions were observed in teeth with more severe baseline sensitivity. Patient satisfaction exceeded 90%, and no adverse effects were observed during follow-up. Conclusion: Within the limitations of this single-arm study, 810-nm diode laser treatment was associated with immediate and sustained reduction in dentin hypersensitivity over 6 months. Randomized controlled studies with sham or active comparators are required to confirm efficacy.