Photobiomodulation therapy with 810-nm laser as an alternative to injection for anesthesia in dentistry

Abstract

Considering the need of the patients to receive dental services with less pain and more comfort, as well as the need for low-risk and non-pharmacological treatments, this study aimed to evaluate the efficiency and acceptance of anesthesia induced by photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) using an 810-nm wavelength laser in comparison to conventional injection of local anesthesia for restorative dentistry procedures. Each patient (45 participants) received two treatments: one by PBMT-induced anesthesia and one by injection of local anesthesia. PBMT-induced anesthesia was applied with an 810-nm diode laser. At the end of each treatment, patients scored the anesthesia according to the Wang-Baker FACES pain rating scale. The PBMT-induced anesthesia showed pain score values lower than those of traditional injection of local anesthesia in both jaws and both sides of the same jaw (split mouth) (P < 0.05). PBMT-induced anesthesia was well-accepted by the majority of the patients, which declared the preference for this type of anesthesia for their future restorative procedures. This study demonstrates that PBMT-induced anesthesia with the parameters described may be a good alternative to injection of local anesthesia for many patients in restorative dentistry. In fact, PBMT-induced anesthesia showed to be more effective than the traditional injection of local anesthesia for controlling pain and discomfort during cavity preparation.