Is low level laser effective for the treatment of orofacial pain?: A systematic review.

The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of low level laser therapy (LLLT) as a treatment for orofacial pain considering the methodology of the studies. PubMed (1983-2009) and one conference proceeding were searched. Studying quality was assessed using a validated instrument. A high-quality score was defined as high or low. Outcomes were defined as either positive (+), neutral (0), or negative (-). Thirty-three studies met inclusion criteria. The best evidence synthesis method was used to formulate outcome of LLLT for each type of control group. LLLT vs. placebo pooling revealed high-quality trials in three of eight positive studies. In LLLT vs. other active treatment pooling, two high-quality studies out of nine neutral trials were found. Quality of the trial was not significantly associated with neutral results (p=0.05). Only limited evidence indicated that LLLT is more effective than placebo, sham laser, and other active treatments.