The effectiveness of low-level laser therapy on controlling pain and discomfort during separator placement before fixation of orthodontic appliances

Background: Pain and discomfort are the most common sequel of orthodontic treatment both before and after separator placement. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) on pain and discomfort control during separator placement before orthodontic fixed appliance placement. Materials and Methods: A single-blind, split-mouth clinical trial with a sample size of six patients (12 half mouths as cases where three positions on the buccal side of each tooth lased by the power of 1 Watt diode laser before orthodontic separator placement, while the other 12 teeth acted as control where separators were placed without laser application. Assessment of pain and discomfort was done by visual analog scale. The results of pain intensity and discomfort between the study group (EG) and the control group (CG) were compared by t-test and ANOVA, and the level of significance was set at a level at P ≤ 0.05. Results: The majority of the laser group experienced pain during chewing (85.70%) and most of them change their food habits (66.70%). In most of the lased cases (70%), pain intensity increased after 72 h, while among the control cases; it increased after 24 h (83.40%). There was a statistically significant difference in pain degree among the laser group at different time intervals (P = 0.05), while on the control group, statistically significant difference was found at baseline immediately after placement of orthodontic separator (P = 0.05). The majority of the patients' followed the instructions and did not take any medication to decrease pain intensity (66.70%). Conclusion: LLLT was effective in decreasing pain and discomfort during elastic separator placement for orthodontic patients with fixed appliances.