Umbrella review of photobiomodulation/low-level laser therapy and vitamin D in orthodontics: effects on tooth movement, pain, root resorption, and bone biomarkers
Bukhari SAA, Ruslan AHB, Hassan R
BMC oral health · 0 citations
Review labels
Neutral facts our review recorded about how this study was done. They describe method, never whether we like the result.
How it was studied
- Design
- Systematic review (indexed by PubMed)
- Studied in
- People
- Main outcome
- Health markers and function
Who paid for it
- Funding
- Funding not disclosed
Publication
- Published
- 2026-07-16 · BMC Oral Health
- Publisher
- BioMed Central
- Cited
- 0 citations · more than 67% of similar papers · 0.0× the field average
- References
- 0 works
- Access
- Open access (journal) · CC-BY-NC-ND
- Research areas
- Laser Applications in Dentistry and Medicine · Dental Erosion and Treatment · Dental Anxiety and Anesthesia Techniques
- Keywords
- Vitamin D and neurology, Randomized controlled trial, Clinical trial, Systematic review, Cochrane Library, Oral and maxillofacial surgery, MEDLINE, Narrative review, Root resorption
3 authors
From SA, MY
- Syed Abid Altaf BukhariRiyadh Armed Forces Hospital; Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia; Armed Forces Hospital
- Ahmad Hashridz RuslanHospital Universiti Sains Malaysia
- Rozita Hassan · correspondingHospital Universiti Sains Malaysia
Abstract
Background
To synthesize evidence from systematic reviews and meta-analyses on low-level laser therapy/Photobiomodulation (LLLT/PBM) and vitamin D as non-invasive adjuncts for accelerating orthodontic tooth movement (OTM) and mitigating associated side effects.
Methods
PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library databases were searched from inception to November 18, 2025. SRMAs primarily comprising human RCTs evaluating LLLT/PBM or vitamin D in orthodontics were included; in some mixed-design reviews, clearly separable human orthodontic data from a small number of CCTs were retained narratively. (one pre-registered exception with 4 RCTs for vitamin D to ensure completeness). Randomized controlled trials were prioritized; some retained reviews also included a small number of controlled clinical trials when relevant human orthodontic data were clearly separable. Quality was assessed using AMSTAR-2, ROBIS, and GRADE. Narrative synthesis was performed because of high heterogeneity.
Results
Twenty systematic reviews and meta-analyses covering a large number of human orthodontic trials were included. Low-certainty evidence suggests that LLLT/PBM may be associated with accelerated OTM, slight reductions in orthodontically induced inflammatory root resorption (OIIRR), and short-term pain relief. Vitamin D showed inconsistent findings across outcomes with no reliable overall clinical benefit.
Conclusions
Current evidence is insufficient to recommend the routine clinical use of LLLT/PBM or vitamin D in orthodontics.
Trial registration
PROSPERO CRD42024591253.
Abstract via Europe PMC. Copyright remains with the authors or publisher (CC BY-NC-ND).
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