In a recent study, 1064-nm neodymium-doped yttrium aluminium garnet (Nd: YAG) photobiomodulation (PBM) + placebo gel exhibited similar effectiveness in stimulating mucosal anesthesia and subsequent reduction in pain intensity when compared to 20% Benzocaine topical gel + placebo laser. Rita El Feghali et al. performed a double-blind randomized clinical trial in accordance with the CONSORT standard to examine the effectiveness of PBM at 1064-nm and 20% Benzocaine topical anesthetic gel.

In a 1:1 ratio, 60 healthy patients were randomly segregated to receive either placebo gel + PBM (L group) or Benzocaine topical gel 20% + placebo laser (T group). A new flat-top handpiece was linked to 1064-nm Nd: YAG laser. Notably, 10 Hz, 0.5 W, and 100 µs pulse width and 30 J/cm2 for a single application lasting one minute were the parameters of the operation. The individuals were asked to evaluate their intensity of pain at the moment of anesthetic injection using a visual analogue scale (VAS).

With the utilization of a verbal rating scale, the overall satisfaction, undesirable numbness, and taste were assessed. No clinically meaningful difference in pain ratings was witnessed between both the groups, as depicted in Figure 1:

For overall satisfaction, undesirable numbness, and taste, the L Group displayed substantially greater ratings than the T Group. To conclude, 1064-nm PBM (10 Hz, 50 mJ, 0.5 W, 100 µs pulse width, 30 J/cm2) is an effective topical anesthetic with identical outcomes to 20% Benzocaine in lowering severity of pain. Additionally, irradiation through a flat-top handpiece effectively induces mucosal anesthesia and eradicates conventional topical anesthetic gel-related side effects.