title: Management of Temporomandibular Disorders with Low Level Laser Therapy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the efficacy of low level laser therapy (LLLT) in the treatment of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) in relation to pain intensity, tender points, joint sounds and jaw movements.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty patients received 6 sessions of LLLT (3 times a week for 2 weeks) with semiconductive diode laser (gallium arsenide; 904 nm, 0.6 W, 60 s, 4 J/cm(2)). Pain intensity, number of tender points, joint sounds and active range of motion were assessed before and immediately after each session and after 1, 2 weeks, 1, 3 and 6 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Statistically significant results were achieved in all study parameters.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  LLLT promoted satisfactory results in reducing the pain intensity, number of tender points, joint sounds and improvement in the range of jaw motion. Hence it is an effective and efficient treatment method for TMDs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, SRM Dental College, Chennai, India ; Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Srinivas Institute of Dental Sciences, Srinivasnagar, Mukka, Mangalore, 575021 Karnataka India.
authors.forename: Nabeel
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sayed
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, SRM Dental College, Chennai, India.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Murugavel
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, SRM Dental College, Chennai, India.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gnanam
keywords: Low level laser therapy; Semiconductive diode laser; Temporomandibular disorders