Low-level laser therapy in the management of disorders of the maxillofacial region

The authors analyzed the effects of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) on the treatment of maxillofacial disorders. Pioneer work published by Mester et al. opened a new frontier in the clinical treatment of many disorders with the use of LLLT. Although LLLT is not well accepted in many places, its use is growing steadily in others, including Europe and more recently in Brazil. One hundred forty-one female and 24 male patients, between 7 and 81 years of age (average = 39.2 years old), suffering from disorders of the maxillofacial region were treated with 632.8-nm, 670-nm, and 830-nm diode lasers at the Laser Center of the Universidade Federal de Pernambuco. The disorders included temporomandibular joint pain, trigeminal neuralgia, muscular pain, aphatae, inflammation, and tooth hypersensitivity both postoperatively and in small hemangiomas. Most treatment consisted of a series of 12 applications (twice a week), and in eight cases a second series was applied. Patients were treated with an average dose of 2.5 J/cm2. One hundred twenty out of 165 patients were asymptomatic at the end of the treatment, 25 improved considerably, and 20 were symptomatic. These preliminary results indicate that LLLT is an important tool and brings many benefits for the treatment of many disorders of the maxillofacial region.