Effect of active irrigation using shock wave-enhanced emission photoacoustic streaming on dental pulp stem cell viability

BACKGROUND: Shock wave-enhanced emission photoacoustic streaming (SWEEPS) is a novel irrigation activation method based on photoacoustic streaming. The aim of this study was to look into the impact of SWEEPS on the attachment and survival of dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs). MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this in vitro study, 34 standardized root segments were randomly allocated into two groups: SWEEPS and the conventional conditioning group. After the irrigation, human DPSCs were seeded on the internal walls of these samples, and the attachment and survival of 30 of them were assessed on different days. The remaining two samples were observed using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Independent sample t-test, Mann–Whitney U-test, one-way ANOVA, Kruskal–Wallis, and two-way ANOVA were used for data analysis with the level of significance = 0.05. RESULTS: The viability of DPSCs was significantly greater in the SWEEPS group in comparison with the conventional conditioning group (P = 0.029). Both groups have shown a significant increase in the viability of DPSCs over time (P = 0.0001, P = 0.003). SEM results have shown a smear layer-free surface with firmly attached DPSCs in the SWEEPS group. CONCLUSION: The results of this study indicated that active irrigation using SWEEPS could provide a superior surface in terms of viability and attachment of DPSCs compared to the conventional conditioning method.