title: The Effects of Transcutaneous and Intraoral Low-Level Laser Therapy After Extraction of Lower Third Molars: A Randomized Single Blind, Placebo Controlled Dual-Center Study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The surgical removal of impacted third molars is one of the most common procedures performed by oral and maxillofacial surgeons. The purpose of this study is to determine whether either transcutaneous or intraoral low-level laser therapy (LLLT) reduces postoperative pain and assists in the healing of mandibular third molar extraction.
  
  
  METHODS
  This randomized, placebo controlled, single-blind, split-mouth design study was conducted on 60 patients with full bony impacted similar position mandibular third molars bilaterally. The patients were divided into two groups of 30 each: transcutaneous LLLT and intraoral LLLT and the other side of each group treated with nonactive laser (60 teeth). The laser treatment consisted of administering laser energy immediately before and after the extraction procedure with gallium aluminum arsenide (GaAlAs) 830 nm diode lasers. Postoperative pain and healing of the sockets were compared in transcutaneous and intraoral group with placebo for 1 week following the extraction. Descriptive and bivariate statistics was computed, and the p-value was set at 0.05.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Intraoral LLLT application resulted in a statistically significant reduction of postoperative pain in comparison with transcutaneous laser group and placebo. The unhealed socket numbers were compared in two groups at seventh day and no differences were observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this study suggest that single-session intraoral LLLT is more effective than extraoral application for reducing postoperative pain. It was postulated that the differences between skin and mucosa could have effect on the results. Although intraoral use would allow closer application to the surgical site, the size of some laser devices precludes their use intraorally.
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Faculty of Dentistry, Gazi University , Ankara, Türkiye .
authors.forename: Sevil Altundag
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Kahraman
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Faculty of Dentistry, Gazi University , Ankara, Türkiye .
authors.forename: Sedat
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cetiner
authors.affiliation: 2 Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center , Richmond, Virginia.
authors.forename: Robert A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Strauss
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D028022:Low-Level Light Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008334:Mandible / Q000528:radiation effects / Q000601:surgery*; D008964:Molar, Third / Q000601:surgery*; D009055:Mouth / Q000528:radiation effects; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D012016:Reference Values; D012307:Risk Factors; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D014081:Tooth Extraction / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects*
keywords: LLLT; intraoral application; pain; third molar surgery; wound healing