Low-level laser therapy effectiveness in accelerating orthodontic tooth movement: A randomized controlled clinical trial

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) in accelerating orthodontic tooth movement of crowded maxillary incisors.

Materials and methods: This two-arm, parallel-group, randomized controlled trial involved 26 patients with severe to extreme maxillary incisors irregularity according to Little's irregularity index, indicating two first premolars extraction. Patients were randomly assigned to either the laser group or the control group (13 each). Following premolars extraction, orthodontic treatment with fixed appliances was initiated for both groups. Immediately after insertion of the first archwire, patients in the laser group received a LLL dose from an 830-nm wavelength Ga-Al-As semiconductor laser device with energy of 2 J/point. The laser was applied to each maxillary incisor's root at four points (two buccal, two palatal). Application was repeated on days 3, 7, 14, and then every 15 days starting from the second month until the end of the leveling and alignment stage. Alignment progress was evaluated on the study casts taken before inserting the first archwire (T0), after 1 month of treatment commencement (T1), after 2 months (T2), and at the end of the leveling and alignment stage (T3). The outcome measures were the overall time needed for leveling and alignment and the leveling and alignment improvement percentage.

Results: A statistically significant difference was found between the two groups in the overall treatment time (P < .001) and the leveling and alignment improvement percentage at T1 (P = .004) and T2; (P = .001).

Conclusion: LLLT is an effective method for accelerating orthodontic tooth movement.

Keywords: Dental crowding; Leveling and alignment; Low-level laser therapy; Orthodontic tooth movement acceleration.

Figures

Figure 1.

Two illustrative cases representing treatment progress in the laser group (left panel) and the control group (right panel). LII: Little's irregularity index; LAIP: Leveling and alignment improvement percentage.

Figure 2.

CONSORT flow diagram.