The effects of low laser to promote orthodontic anchorage and inhibition of pain

This study investigated the effects of low level laser in orthodontic movement, aiming to promote anchorage and inhibition of pain after activation, as well as to analyze the maintenance of tissue integrity after utilization of laser and orthodontic movement. The sample was composed of 74 maxillary and mandibular molars and premolars that served as anchorage in the initial retraction stage of canines, performed with NiTi coil springs with force of 150g. One of the randomly selected molars/premolars was irradiated with diode laser (LI), according to the following application protocol: 780mm/70mW/105J/cm2/4.2J per point/Et= 42J for molars and 42J for premolars at days 0, 7 and 14 after activation, and the contralateral tooth was considered as (LNI). The retraction lasted 3 months in the average, adding up to 9 laser applications. Dental casts and cone beam computed tomographies (CBCT) were evaluated to analyze the anchorage loss of molars. The dental casts obtained every month were measured with a digital pachymeter and the tomographies obtained at initial (T0) and final periods (T4) were assessed by 3D analysis (Radiomemory). The tomographies were also assessed to evaluate a possible resorption of the alveolar bone crest (CA), by measuring the distance between it (CA) and the cementoenamel junction (JCE), comparing T0 and T4 and the quantity of root resorption, by the difference between the initial and final root lengths. The painful symptomatology was analyzed by comparison of LI and LNI using a visual analogue scale after 12, 24, 48 and 72 hours, in which the patients indicated from 0 to 10 according to the pain experienced. For the dental casts, two-way and one-way analysis of variance were applied, followed by the Tukey test and then by the paired t test, for measurement of the total difference comparing the irradiated (LI) and non-irradiated (LNI) sides. The paired t test was applied for comparison between periods T0 and T4 of anchorage loss, root resorption and alveolar bone crest, comparing the LI and LNI. The parametric Wilcoxon test was applied, and the difference in experienced pain between periods was analyzed by the non-parametric Friedman test. All tests were performed at a significance level of 5%. In dental casts, for comparison between periods, the results indicated statistically significant reduction in the rate of movement of irradiated molars compared to the contralateral only on the first month, yet there was statistically significant difference comparing the periods T0 and T4. In the tomographies, there was statistically significant difference in the rate of movement comparing T0 and T4. There was also statistically significant reduction of painful symptomatology when LI was compared to LNI, with statistically significant gain of bone tissue at the distal bone crests of the maxillary first molar. It was concluded that laser therapy at the adopted dose may reduce the orthodontic movement of the anchorage teeths in the stage of initial retraction of canines, as well as reducing the painful symptomatology without damage to the periodontal tissues and even contributing to increase the bone support.