Low-level laser therapy for alleviation of pain from fi xed orthodontic appliance therapy: A randomized controlled trial

Abstract

Background: Pain as a result of tooth movement is a common clinical symptom for orthodontic patients. Pain increases after the placement of the first arch wire ranging from slight discomfort to throbbing pain. Pharmacological therapy may has undesirable side effects. Furthermore, it has been observed that use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs impedes tooth movement which is critical for any orthodontic treatment. For these reasons, there is high need of other non-pharmacological interventions to manage pain. Objective: The study was designed to assess the efficacy of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) in alleviating pain from fixed orthodontic appliance therapy. Materials and Methods: The study group comprised 30 subjects undergoing fixed orthodontic therapy. They were categorized into three groups with 10 subjects in each group as intervention (LLLT) group (IG) – received LLLT, placebo (blind) group (PG) – received simulated LLLT, and control group (CG). Pain was evaluated using a pain questionnaire at 1, 24, 48, and 72 h after LLLT. Results: At 48 h statistically significant difference in pain score was noted between IG and CG (P = 0.001) while IG and PG were insignificant ( P = 0.088). At 72 h statistically significant difference in pain score was noted between IG and PG (0.08); IG and CG were 0.001 while PG and CG were insignificant (0.915). Conclusion: LLLT reduced the duration and intensity of the pain in patients undergoing fixed orthodontic therapy.