| Study | Reason for exclusion |
|---|---|
| Aranha 2009 | Incomplete outcome data |
| Aranha 2012 | Inappropriate randomization; no mention of participants' age range |
| Birang 2007 | Inappropriate randomization; no mention of participants' age range |
| Brugnera 1999 | Not an RCT (He:Ne laser versus AsGaAl lasers) |
| Brugnera 2003 | Not an RCT (diode laser) |
| Chang 1999 | Outcomes not quantitatively measured |
| Chebel 2018 | Comparison with in‐office chemical agent |
| Ciaramicoli 2003 | Not an RCT (Nd:YAG laser versus no treatment) |
| Corona 2003 | Not an RCT (GaAlAs laser versus sodium fluoride varnish) |
| Dantas 2016 | Incomplete outcome data; no mention of participants' age range |
| De Lima Suares 2016 | Comparison with in‐office chemical agent |
| Dilsiz 2009 | Not an RCT (Nd:YAG laser versus diode laser) |
| Dilsiz 2010a | Not an RCT (Er:YAG laser, Nd:YAG laser versus GaAlAs laser) |
| Dilsiz 2010b | Desensitizer toothpaste versus diode laser + desensitizer toothpaste |
| Femiano 2013 | Comparison with in‐office chemical agent |
| Gelskey 1993 | He:Ne laser versus He:Ne laser + Nd:YAG laser |
| Guo 2019 | Comparison with in‐office chemical agent |
| Hashim 2014 | No non‐laser intervention arm involved in the study |
| He 2004 | Outcomes not quantitatively measured |
| Hotta 2006 | Laser versus laser + occlusal splint |
| Hu 2004 | Not an RCT (Nd:YAG laser versus sodium fluoride gel) |
| Ipci 2009 | They scored according to the modified criteria proposed by Uchida et al (4 degrees of sensitivity) and not using VAS |
| Kara 2009 | Comparison with in‐office chemical agent |
| Kong 2004 | Outcomes not quantitatively measured |
| Kripal 2019 | No mention of participants' age range |
| Kumar 2005 | Not an RCT (Nd:YAG laser versus sodium fluoride varnish) |
| Ladalardo 2002 | Not an RCT (830 nm GaAlAs laser versus 660 nm GaAlAs laser) |
| Lan 1996 | Incomplete outcome data |
| Lan 1999 | In vitro study (Nd:YAG laser and sodium fluoride varnish) |
| Li 2001 | Outcomes not quantitatively measured |
| Lima 2017 | They used a score ≥ 5 on a numerical rating scale (NRS) not VAS |
| Liu 1994 | Semiconductor laser versus semiconductor laser + sodium fluoride varnish |
| Liu 2004 | Incomplete outcome data |
| Lizarelli 2015 | Age of patients not specified |
| Lopes 2013 | Comparison with in‐office chemical agent |
| Lopes 2015 | Comparison with in‐office chemical agent |
| Lopes 2017 | Comparison with in‐office chemical agent |
| Ma 2004 | Outcomes not quantitatively measured |
| Moosavi 2016 | Hypersensitivity induced by bleaching and not spontaneous |
| Moritz 1996 | Stannous fluoride gel versus CO2 laser + stannous fluoride gel |
| Moura 2019 | Comparison with in‐office chemical agent |
| Oberhofer 2008 | Not an RCT (Er:YAG laser versus sodium fluoride gel) |
| Osmari 2018 | Comparison with in‐office chemical agent |
| Ozlem 2018 | They used Yeaple probe scores ( electronic pressure sensitive probe ) not VAS |
| Pandey 2017 | Only mean age provided. Minimum age not specified |
| Pesevska 2010 | Not an RCT (diode laser versus fluoride) |
| Pourshahidi 2019 | No intervention group. Both study groups are laser |
| Praveen 2018 | Comparison with in‐office chemical agent |
| Raichur 2012 | Comparison with in‐office chemical agent |
| Renton‐Harper 1992 | Not an RCT |
| Schwarz 2002 | Used an arbitrary pain scale in 4 degrees not VAS |
| Sgolastra 2013 | This is a meta‐analysis |
| Shintome 2007 | Nd:YAG laser versus Er:YAG laser |
| Sicilia 2009 | They used verbal rating scale (VRS) not VAS |
| Tabatabaei 2018 | Not an RCT |
| Tabibzadeh 2018 | No intervention group. Both study groups are laser (low versus high level) |
| Tailor 2014 | They used a score ≥ 5 on a numerical rating scale (NRS) not VAS |
| Talesara 2014 | Inappropriate randomization |
| Tengrungsun 2008 | Not an RCT (GaAlAs laser versus dentine bonding agent) |
| Tocarruncho 2018 | Use of in‐office chemical agent as comparison |
| Wang 1991 | Not an RCT (Nd:YAG laser versus NaF) |
| Wang 2004 | Outcomes not quantitatively measured |
| Wang 2005 | Outcomes not quantitatively measured |
| Wang 2006 | Outcomes not quantitatively measured |
| Wang 2012 | Comparison with in‐office chemical agent |
| Xiong 2010 | Outcomes not quantitatively measured |
| Xu 2002 | Outcomes not quantitatively measured |
| Yadav 2019 | Used verbal rating scale (VRS) not VAS |
| Yamaguchi 1990 | Outcomes not quantitatively measured |
| Yonaga 1999 | Various methods using Nd:YAG laser |
| Yu 1996 | Outcomes not quantitatively measured |
| Yu 2014 | No control group |
| Zhao 2003 | Outcomes not quantitatively measured |
| Zhao 2008 | Quasi‐RCT |
AsGaAl = arsenate‐gallium‐aluminum; Er:YAG = erbium:yttrium‐aluminum‐garnet; GaAIAs = gallium‐aluminum‐arsenide; He:Ne = helium:neon laser; Nd:YAG = neodymium‐doped:yttrium‐aluminum‐garnet; nm = nanometer; RCT = randomized controlled trial; VAS = visual analogue scale.