Do Antimicrobial Photodynamic Therapy and Low-Level Laser Therapy Influence Oral Health-Related Quality of Life After Molar Extraction?

Abstract

Most individuals experience significant deterioration in their oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) in the first few days after tooth extraction. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the impact of antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) and low-level laser therapy (LLLT) protocols on OHRQoL after extraction of lower molars. The investigators designed a double-blind, randomized controlled clinical trial study. Patients with indications for lower molar extraction were included in the study and randomized into four groups: control group, antimicrobial photodynamic therapy group, LLLT group (LLLT.G), and aPDT and LLLT group (aPDT+LLLT.G).The Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14) questionnaire was used through an interview with the participants before the extraction (T0 - baseline) and on the 7th (T1) and 30th (T2) days after extraction. Other variables were age, sex, ethnicity, decayed-missing-filled teeth (DMFT) and tooth types. Appropriate univariate and bivariate statistics were computed, and statistical significance was set at a value P<.05. The sample was composed of 40 patients with a mean age of 41.25±13.97 and 25 (62.5%) were women. The mean OHIP-14 scores were significantly different in the intervals at T0 versus T1 and T0 versus T2 for all domains (P<.001), demonstrating a positive impact on the OHRQoL. The total scores indicated a significant improvement in the OHRQoL in the aPDT (7.10, standard deviation 4.18, P=.043), LLLT (6.40, SD 5.87, P=.025), and aPDT+LLLT (5.30, SD 3.59, P=.012) groups compared to that in the control group (12.90, SD 6.64) at T1. Patients undergoing extraction of lower mandibular molars with aPDT+LLLT had the lowest mean OHIP-14 total score at T1 (5.30) and T2 (0.70). The aPDT and LLLT protocols had a positive impact on the participants' OHRQoL. These procedures can be applied in everyday surgical practice.