Low-level laser therapy in cases of burning mouth syndrome

Abstract

Burning mouth syndrome is an intraoral burning sensation which develops in the absence of mucosal changes. It is a chronic condition and, in most of the cases, it is idiopathic – no cause or mechanism can be identified and no effective treatment can be prescribed. A variety of therapeutic approaches have been applied – cognitive-behavioral therapy, different drugs and supplements, acupuncture, lasers – none of them has achieved a definitive solution of the problem. This leads to anxiety, altered pain perception, and, therefore, reduced quality of life of the affected patients. The aim of this study is to present low-level laser therapy as a pain control option in patients with burning mouth syndrome. We reveal the potential of a diode laser to reduce the unpleasant burning sensation. We also apply laser therapy on patients with primary burning mouth syndrome. The affected sites on the oral mucosa in the selected cases are various – tongue, lower lip, upper lip, palate, cheeks. They are irradiated 10 times (two or three times a week) by an infrared laser (λ = 904 nm) and a red laser (λ = 658 nm). The probe is kept in contact with the tissue and the mucosal surface is scanned during the irradiation. The burning intensity is evaluated through a visual analogue scale before and after the treatment. The low-level laser illumination decreases significantly and for a longer period the burning sensation. The low-level laser therapy is a valuable alternative for BMS treatment and can be combined with other treatment methods.