A 2011 Cochrane review found weak evidence from 5 studies that low energy laser therapy (LLLT) may be beneficial in preventing severe mucositis. This new review included 18 studies and found that low level laser therapy reduced overall risk of severe mucositis.
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With typical orthodontic treatment taking 18-24 months there is pressure to reduce the time it takes. This review considers a range of potential options but there is limited quality evidence for most of the techniques identified.
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Peri-implantitis is a common reason for the failure of dental implants and a number of different treatments for managing this condition have been suggested (Dental Elf 26th Jan 2012). The aim of this review was to assess whether laser therapy was effective either as a monotherapy or as an adjunctive therapy in the treatment of [read the full story…]
Recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS) is the most common form of oral ulceration. Prevalence rates for the general population vary between 5-60%. Onset generally peaks between the ages of 10-19 an often persists in to adulthood. A wide range of topical and systematic treatments have been utilised including low-level laser therapy. The aim of the study [read the full story…]
In my blog on 25th June 2011 we looked at a systematic review which aimed to assess whether laser therapy was more effective than desensitising agents for dentine hypersensitivity. This latest systematic review on the topic by Sgolastra et al aimed to assess the efficacy of lasers, stratified according to laser type, on changes in [read the full story…]
A number of different laser techniques have been considered as alternative approaches to traditional chemo- mechanical approaches for root canal disinfection. The aim of this review was evaluate the clinical efficacy of lasers as an adjunct to chemo-mechanical disinfection of root canals. The PubMed, Cochrane Controlled Trials Register (CENTRAL) and the ISI Web of Knowledge [read the full story…]
Oral Lichen Planus (OLP) is a common chronic immunological disease the treatment of which remains a challenge for clinicians. Two Cochrane reviews have recently been published regarding the treatment of OLP (Chang et al 2012 and Thongorasom et al 2011 ). The quality of evidence for treatments for OLP is weak, but topical steroids are [read the full story…]
The removal of third molars is one of the commonest surgical procedures undertaken and the majority of patients develop some degree ofpain, swelling, and trismus after the surgery. Some investigators have stated that low-level laser energy irradiation (LLEI) decreases pain and swelling after surgery, and that it would contribute to a faster recovery. The aim [read the full story…]
The aim of this review was to assess the scientific evidence on the efficacy of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) in the treatment of temporomandibular disorders (TMD). The authors searched the PubMed, Science Direct, Cochrane Clinical Trials Register, and PEDro databases. Papers were screened, extracted, and quality assessed independently by two reviewers. A meta-analysis- was performed [read the full story…]
