Periodontal treatment
LLLT adjunct to non-surgical periodontal treatment meta-analysis
Ren C, McGrath C, Jin L, et al. Journal of Periodontal Research. 2017.
A periodontal meta-analysis found only short-term additional benefits when LLLT was added to scaling and root planing.
Evidence grade
low
Effect direction
mixed
Panel relevance
not-panel-replicable
Key findings
- Seven RCTs were included from eight publications.
- LLLT plus scaling and root planing improved probing pocket depth at 1 and 2 months.
- Intermediate-term clinical effects at 3 and 6 months were not significant.
Protocol details
| Wavelengths | Not reported nm |
|---|---|
| Irradiance | Not reported mW/cm2 |
| Fluence | Not reported J/cm2 |
| Session time | Not reported minutes |
| Frequency | Dental-procedure specific |
| Duration | Short-term follow-up at 1-2 months; intermediate follow-up at 3-6 months |
| Treatment area | Periodontal pockets/tissues |
| Device type | Dental low-level laser therapy |
Caveats
- Most studies had high risk of bias.
- This is dental-office adjunct evidence, not consumer red light panel evidence.