Efficiency of Low-Level Laser Therapy in Reducing Pain Induced by Orthodontic Forces

Abstract

The significant reductions in both pain intensity and PGE(2) levels revealed that LLLT was efficient in reducing orthodontic post-adjustment pain.

Analgesia durante o tratamento ortodôntico com o uso do laser de baixa intensidade: revisão sistemática

“…All articles included in this review have investigated laser analgesic action during some orthodontic treatment stage, be it placement of elastic separators [10][11][12] , in the adaptation of fixed appliances 1,2,7 or orthodontic tooth movement during adjustments 6,8 . These are recent studies published by relevant Orthodontics and Laser Therapy journals.…”

“…Six drugs, they may have adverse effects on treatment; authors have also concluded that low intensity laser therapy is a relatively safe alternative needing further attention of the scientific community 4 . Recent studies have investigated the analgesic potential of Gallium-Aluminum-Arsenide (AsGaAl) laser under different protocols, during orthodontic treatment, and have shown promising results 2,[6][7][8] . Alternatives such as acupuncture and hypnosis have been indicated for some cases as pain therapy, being effective in some situations 9 .…”

“…Our study has observed that included clinical trials have followed a laser punctual application methodology, using the visual analog scale to measure pain. This scale has already been validated to evaluate pain in experimental studies 19 ; however pain perception subjectivity among patients may involve some issues that limit its accuracy 2 . With regard to statistical analyses, the option for non parametric tests in seven studies suggests that pain perception has a non normal distribution among patients.…”

“…In orthodontics, pain is primarily relieved with nonsteroid anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) 2 . However, it has to be stressed that NSAIDs should be avoided during orthodontic treatment since they change orthodontic movement mechanism, increasing treatment time 3 .…”

Efficiency of low-level laser therapy for orthodontic tooth movement: a review

“…LLLT has been found to accelerate healing, stimulate nerve regeneration, increase fibroblastic and osteoblastic proliferation, decrease pain, and accelerate bone remodeling [8,13,14]. LLLT is a noninvasive therapy that uses low energy levels over long exposure periods.…”