Major approaches to laser therapy in regenerative processes in bucco-maxillo-facial bone defects: a concise systematic review

Abstract

Introduction: In the context of oral and bucco maxillo regenerative processes, bone defects are caused by trauma, surgery, tumor, congenital disease, and other pathological factors. Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) can regulate cellular functions by affecting cell growth and cytokine secretion, thereby exerting a variety of biological effects. Objective: It was to carry out a concise systematic review of the main stimulatory and regenerative effects of laser therapy on bone formation processes in maxillary oral surgery for bone defects. Methods: The systematic review rules of the PRISMA Platform were followed. The search was carried out from February to March 2023 in the Scopus, PubMed, Science Direct, Scielo, and Google Scholar databases, using articles from 1993 to 2022. The quality of the studies was based on the GRADE instrument and the risk of bias was analyzed accordingly, according to the Cochrane instrument. Results and Conclusion: A total of 114 articles were found, 48 articles were evaluated and 29 were included and developed in this systematic review study. Considering the Cochrane tool for risk of bias, the overall assessment resulted in 16 studies with a high risk of bias and 40 studies that did not meet GRADE. It was concluded that there is scientific evidence of the positive effect of low-intensity laser energy on bone regeneration within a certain relationship between dose and output power. The low-intensity laser stimulates cellular metabolism, increasing protein synthesis and subsequent bone regeneration. A high dose combined with low potency or a low dose combined with high potency appears to produce a positive effect.