Low-Level Light/Laser Therapy Versus Photobiomodulation Therapy

Fundamental Information

“…These terms are vague and bewildering. The correct nomenclature for the application of electromagnetic radiation within the red and infrared spectrum over injuries and lesions to stimulate healing and provide pain relief within those tissues is PBMT (Anders et al, 2015). Though the use of the terms "laser therapy" and "PBMT" will be interchangeable in this text, the term "photobiomodulation" (PBM) is more precise.…”

“…Though the use of the terms "laser therapy" and "PBMT" will be interchangeable in this text, the term "photobiomodulation" (PBM) is more precise. It "distinguishes photobiomodulation therapy, which is nonthermal, from the popular use of light-based devices for simple heating of tissues as can be accomplished using near-infrared lamps, or other applications of light energy that rely on thermal effects for all or part of their mechanism of action" (Anders et al, 2015).…”

“…Also known as "photobiomodulation therapy" (PBMT), this is a form of light therapy that "results in beneficial therapeutic outcomes including but not limited to the alleviation of pain or inflammation, immunomodulation, and promotion of wound healing and tissue regeneration" (Anders et al, 2015).…”

Light transmittance of the periodontium

“…It is a nonthermal process involving endogenous chromophores eliciting photophysical (i.e., linear and nonlinear) and photochemical events at various biological scales. This process results in beneficial therapeutic outcomes including but not limited to the alleviation of pain or inflammation, immunomodulation, and promotion of wound healing and tissue regeneration.^ [1]. PBM therapy was found to have multiple clinical benefits, which includes reducing pain [2][3][4][5][6][7], improving wound healing [8][9][10][11], accelerating bone healing [12][13][14][15][16][17], promoting osteointegration [18], facilitating orthodontic tooth movement [19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26], stimulating bone formation [27][28][29][30][31], and improving periodontal tissue repair and decreasing inflammation and root resorption [23,26,32].…”

Parameter Reproducibility in Photobiomodulation

“…The topic has been discussed in this journal before, 5 and the implementation of a common nomenclature is important for ''outsiders'' to understand what we are talking about.…”