Effectiveness of low-level laser therapy in reducing pain perception of children during dental local anesthetic administration using laser acupuncture pen on the LI4 point: a randomized clinical trial

Purpose Laser acupuncture, a non-invasive variant of acupuncture, has been proven effective in the medical and dental fields. Hence, the present study aims to determine the effect of low-level laser therapy on the LI4 point, using a laser acupuncture pen, in reducing children's pain during local anesthetic (LA) administration. Methods Children in the age range of 8-12 years, in need of LA administration, were randomly assigned to two groups: Group I: laser acupuncture, Group II: control. For all the children, baseline simplified Modified Child Dental Anxiety Scale-Faces version (MCDAS((f))) was recorded, followed by laser acupuncture or standard care. Following the conventional protocol, LA was administered. The procedural pain was assessed using the Faces, Legs, Activity, Cry and Consolability scale (FLACC) and Faces Pain Scale-Revised (FPS-R). All the variations in pulse rate were recorded from baseline to the completion of LA administration. After the procedure, simplified MCDAS((f)) was recorded one more time. The data were tabulated and analyzed statistically. Results A significant reduction in anxiety after LA administration, as observed in MCDAS((f)) score, was noticed only in the laser acupuncture group. The pain scores, as reported in FPS-R, were low in children randomized to the laser group compared to the control. The FLACC pain scores also showed low values in the experimental group. Conclusion Based on the study findings, within the limitations, low-level laser therapy using a laser acupuncture pen can reduce the pain perception of children undergoing LA administration and alleviate dental anxiety.