Evaluation of Low Energy Level Laser Biostimulation at Different Energy Densities in the Treatment of Temporomandibular Joint Irregularities: A Retrospective Study

The Study Was Conducted by Retrospectively Analysing the Files of Patients Who Presented With Temporomandibular Joint Disorder (TMD) and Underwent LLEL Treatment. Patients Were Divided Into Myalgia, Disc Displacement With Reduction and Follow-up Groups. In Our Study, GaAl-As Diode Laser (EzLase 940, Biolase Technology, Inc. 4 Cromwell Irvine, USA) for Lowlevel Laser Treatment Was Applied for 1 Minute to Subgroup 1 (940 nm, 1. 5 W, 90 J, Continuous), Subgroup 2 (940 nm, 3 W, 180J, Continuous) and Subgroup 1 (940 nm, 1.5 W, 90J, Continuous) and Subgroup 2 (940 nm, 3 W, 180J, Continuous).

This clinical study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of low-level laser therapy in patients with temporomandibular disorders (TMD), specifically disc displacement with reduction and myalgia. The study compared laser therapy with a soft diet approach to determine whether laser treatment provides additional benefits in reducing pain and improving jaw function

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Myalgia of Mastication Muscle
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Low Level Laser Therapy; Other: Dietary Supplement

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 100
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Turkey (Türkiye)
  • Trabzon
    • Trabzon, Trabzon, Turkey (Türkiye), 61000
      • Karadeniz Technical University

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Child; Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

Diagnosis of disc displacement with reduction (DDwR) and myalgia according to DC/TMD criteria Presence of temporomandibular joint pain and functional limitation Patients aged 18 years and older No previous temporomandibular joint (TMJ) treatment Absence of systemic diseases Willingness to participate and provide informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

History of previous TMJ treatment (e.g., conservative or surgical treatment) Congenital or inflammatory joint disease Severe systemic diseases Edentulous patients Children and adolescents in the active growth period Acute trauma history involving the TMJ region Inability or unwillingness to complete follow-up visits

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Active Comparator: Low Level Laser Therapy; Participants in this group received low-level laser therapy applied to the temporomandibular joint region according to the predefined treatment protocol. Laser therapy was administered for 2 minutes per joint over 9 treatment sessions. Patients were also advised to follow a soft diet during the treatment period.	Other: Low Level Laser Therapy; Participants received low-level laser therapy applied to the temporomandibular joint region in addition to soft diet recommendations. Treatment was performed in 9 sessions according to the predefined laser protocol. Participants followed a soft diet regimen without receiving laser therapy and served as the comparison group.
Other: soft diet group; Soft Diet Group: Participants in this group did not receive laser therapy and were instructed to follow a soft diet during the study period. This group served as the comparison group for evaluating treatment outcomes.	Other: Dietary Supplement; Participants in this group did not receive laser therapy and were instructed to follow a soft diet during the study period. This group served as the comparison group for evaluating treatment outcomes.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in temporomandibular pain intensity measured by the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) from baseline to the end of treatment and follow-up	Change in temporomandibular pain intensity was assessed using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) from baseline to the end of treatment and follow-up. The Visual Analog Scale ranges from 0 to 10, where 0 indicates no pain and 10 indicates the worst pain imaginable. Higher scores represent greater pain severity.	6 month

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Karadeniz Technical University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): September 3, 2022
• Primary Completion (Actual): December 24, 2024
• Study Completion (Actual): December 24, 2024

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: May 7, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 13, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): May 15, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): May 15, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 13, 2026
• Last Verified: May 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Therapeutics; Food; Diet, Food, and Nutrition; Physiological Phenomena; Food and Beverages; Laser Therapy; Phototherapy; Low-Level Light Therapy; Dietary Supplements
• Other Study ID Numbers: 64529847/7

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO
• IPD Plan Description: Individual participant data (IPD) will not be publicly shared due to privacy and confidentiality considerations related to patient data

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No