Cryotherapy in Dentistry

Cryotherapy originated from the Greek word "cryo" (cold) and "therapy" (treatment), It is the deliberate application of reduced temperatures for therapeutic benefit. Its physiological basis centers on heat extraction from tissue, triggering vasoconstriction, reducing nerve conduction velocity, suppressing pro-inflammatory cytokines, and providing analgesia without systemic side effects. Across dentistry, its applications are broad, it manages myofascial pain, temporomandibular disorders, and oral mucositis in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, reduces postoperative swelling, pain, and trismus, ablates mucoceles, fibromas, hemangiomas, lichen planus, and precancerous lesions. also can be used for gingival depigmentation, while endodontics utilizes cold saline irrigation to reduce postoperative pain in apical periodontitis and cryogenic processing to enhance nickel-titanium instrument durability. Limitations include risks of frostbite, nerve injury, and reduced root fracture resistance with intracanal use. Overall, cryotherapy is a cost-effective, minimally invasive modality with growing evidence supporting its integration across dental specialties.