Effect of low-level laser therapy on pain levels in patients with temporomandibular disorders: a systematic review
Maia ML, Bonjardim LR, Quintans Jde S, Quintans Jde S, Ribeiro MA, Maia LG, Conti PC
Journal of applied oral science : revista FOB · 81 citations
How it was studied
- Design
- Systematic review (indexed by PubMed)
- Studied in
- People
- Main outcome
- Health markers and function
Who paid for it
- Funding
- Independent funding
Based on full-text disclosure statement.
Publication
- Published
- 2012-12-01 · J Appl Oral Sci · vol. 20 · issue 6 · pp. 594–602
- Publisher
- University of São Paulo
- Cited
- 163 citations · more than 100% of similar papers · 4.7× the field average
- Impact
- Top 10% most cited in its field
- References
- 41 works
- Access
- Open access (free to publish) · CC-BY
- Research areas
- Temporomandibular Joint Disorders · Laser Applications in Dentistry and Medicine · Oropharyngeal Anatomy and Pathologies
- Keywords
- Medicine, Temporomandibular joint, Low level laser therapy, Placebo, Research Diagnostic Criteria, Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction Syndrome, Inclusion and exclusion criteria, Laser therapy, Physical therapy, Temporomandibular disorder, Orofacial pain, Dentistry, Chronic pain, Laser, Alternative medicine, Pathology
- MeSH
- humans, temporomandibular joint disorders, facial pain, pain measurement, treatment outcome, clinical protocols, radiation dosage, low-level light therapy
6 authors
From BR
- Mila Leite de Moraes MaiaUniversidade Federal de Sergipe
- Leonardo Rigoldi BonjardimUniversidade Federal de Sergipe
- Jullyana de Souza Siqueira QuintansUniversidade Federal de Sergipe
- Maria Amália Gonzaga RibeiroUniversidade Federal de Sergipe
- Luiz Guilherme Martins MaiaCentro Universitário de Araraquara
- Paulo César Rodrigues ContiUniversidade de São Paulo
Abstract
Unlabelled
Temporomandibular disorders (TMD) are characterized by the presence of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and/or masticatory muscle pain and dysfunction. Low-level laser is presented as an adjuvant therapeutic modality for the treatment of TMD, especially when the presence of inflammatory pain is suspected.
Objective
To systematically review studies that investigated the effect of low level laser therapy (LLLT) on the pain levels in individuals with TMD.
Material and methods
The databases Scopus, embase, ebsco and PubMed were reviewed from January/2003 to October/2010 with the following keywords: laser therapy, low-level laser therapy, temporomandibular joint disorders, temporomandibular joint dysfunction syndrome, temporomandibular joint, temporomandibular, facial pain and arthralgia, with the inclusion criteria for intervention studies in humans. exclusion criteria adopted were intervention studies in animals, studies that were not written in english, Spanish or Portuguese, theses, monographs, and abstracts presented in scientific events.
Results
After a careful review, 14 studies fit the criteria for inclusion, of which, 12 used a placebo group. As for the protocol for laser application, the energy density used ranged from 0.9 to 105 J/cm², while the power density ranged from 9.8 to 500 mW. The number of sessions varied from 1 to 20 and the frequency of applications ranged from daily for 10 days to 1 time per week for 4 weeks. A reduction in pain levels was reported in 13 studies, with 9 of these occurring only in the experimental group, and 4 studies reporting pain relief for both the experimental group and for the placebo.
Conclusion
Most papers showed that LLLT seemed to be effective in reducing pain from TMD. However, the heterogeneity of the standardization regarding the parameters of laser calls for caution in interpretation of these results. Thus, it is necessary to conduct further research in order to obtain a consensus regarding the best application protocol for pain relief in patients with TMD.
Abstract via Europe PMC. Copyright remains with the authors or publisher (CC BY-NC).
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