A meta-analysis and systematic review published in “Lasers in Medical Science” portrayed that the adjunctive usage of low-level laser treatment to periodontal surgery offered extra advantages in wound healing and post-surgical pain relief. This study by Han Zhao et al. aimed to investigate the impact of low-level laser therapy as an adjunct to periodontal surgery by searching databases like Cochrane, PubMed, OpenGrey, and Embase for randomized clinical trials.

In total, 13 studies were eligible and incorporated. The major endpoints were: (i) pain evaluation through visual analog scale (VAS), (ii) mean value of analgesic consumption during the first week after surgery, (iii) complete wound epithelialization, (iv) remaining wound area, and (v) stained surface area. The secondary endpoints were: (i) tissue edema, and (ii) dentin hypersensitivity.

The low-level laser therapy used as an adjunct to periodontal surgery was found to minimize pain and lower analgesic intake in the early post-surgery period. The low power (≤ 500 mW) combined with energy density ≥ 5 J/cm² provided better pain control during the first three postoperative days. No improvement in pain levels was witnessed on the 7th day after periodontal surgery. This indicates that the type of surgical procedure, laser settings, and concomitant medication usage impacted therapy outcomes.

Furthermore, a considerable decline was witnessed in the mean analgesic consumption during the first week in the group treated with low-level laser therapy. On the 14th day, the adjunctive usage of low-level laser therapy displayed remarkably faster reepithelialization and expedited wound healing in palatal donor sites after free gingival graft procedures. For subepithelial connective gingival grafts and gingivectomies, the low-level laser therapy could promote wound healing post-surgery, but there was a lack of sufficient evidence.