Abstract

EFFECT OF LOW?LEVEL LASER THERAPY ON ORTHODONTIC TOOTH MOVEMENT

Balram Choudhary, Himanshu Sharma* and Pallavi Prakash

ABSTRACT

AIM: The aim of this clinical study was to evaluate the effect of low‑level laser therapy (LLLT) on the rate of orthodontic tooth movement (OTM) and pain control. Materials and Methods: This study included 40 participants requiring extraction of all first premolars. Randomly selected split‑mouth design was used. One side was irradiated with 810 nm diode laser (dose of 5.0 J/cm2) at 10 points for 10 s. Irradiation was performed just after loading canine retraction forces and on days 7th and 14th. Every 21st day, the force level of coil spring was adjusted, and LLLT protocol was repeated till retraction was complete. Measurements were recorded on study models to evaluate the rate of retraction. Results: Significant increase in OTM was observed on the side exposed to LLLT when compared to control side (P < 0.05). Statistically significant difference in pain perception was observed during first 2 days only between lased site and control site (P < 0.05). Conclusion: LLLT is a reliable tool for enhancing OTM and is effective in relieving pain at parameter settings and protocol used in this study.

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