Is low level laser effective for the treatment of orofacial pain? A systematic review

The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of low level laser therapy (LLLT) as a treatment for orofacial pain considering the methodology of the studies. PubMed (1983-2009) and one conference proceeding were searched. Studying quality was assessed using a validated instrument.¹ A high-quality score was defined as high or low. Outcomes were defined as either positive (+), neutral (0), or negative (-). Thirty-three studies met inclusion criteria. The best evidence synthesis method was used to formulate outcome of LLLT for each type of control group. LLLT vs. placebo pooling revealed high-quality trials in three of eight positive studies. In LLLT vs. other active treatment pooling, two highquality studies out of nine neutral trials were found. Quality of the trial was not significantly associated with neutral results (p=0.05). Only limited evidence indicated that LLLT is more effective than placebo, sham laser, and other active treatments.