Low Level Laser Therapy on Postoperative Trismus and Swelling after Surgical Removal of impacted Lower Third Molar Ali Marwah Safaa1,*, Al-Adili Sahar Shakir2 1Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, College of Dentistry, University of Kufa, Iraq 2Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, College of Dentistry, University of Baghdad, Iraq *Corresponding Author: Marwah Safaa Ali, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, College of Dentistry, University of Kufa, Iraq Phone: 07702842613, Email: marwasafa90@gmail.com
Online published on 13 November, 2019. Abstract Background Low-Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) offer many benefits in controlling the inflammatory process, so it is used in reducing postoperative sequelae following extraction of third molar. The exact biological mechanism behind its action still unclear. There is evidence to suggest that it may have significant neuropharmacological effects in the synthesis, release, and metabolism of a series of biochemical substances. Objective This study aimed to demonstrate the effect of intraoral and extraoral low level laser therapy after surgical removal of lower third molar. Material and Method Forty patients who were in need for surgical removal of lower third molar were studied. Patients were randomly assigned into two groups, LLLT and placebo. Patients in the LLLT group received low level irradiation intraorally (at three point occlusal, buccal and lingual to operation site at 1cm away from the target tissues) and three point extra orally at the masseter muscle including origin and insertion. The total energy was 18 J. While in the placebo group the handpiece was inserted intraorally at proximity to the operation site and then was touched extrorally to the masseter muscle for 180 s total, but the laser was not activated. Assessment of trismus and swelling was done before surgery as a baseline record as well as at the second and seventh postoperative days Results there was no significant difference in trismus between the two groups, while the swelling in the LLLT group was significantly less than in the placebo group in the 2nd and 7th postoperative days. Conclusion This study showed that low level laser application have beneficial effect in swelling reduction after third molar surgery, but the trismus did not reach statistically significant level. Top Keywords Low level laser therapy, impacted lower third molar, trismus, facial swelling. Top |