Low-level periodontal laser therapy lowers pain due to orthodontic forces acting on periodontal tissues in adult patients who underwent fixed orthodontic therapy.

A randomized, double-blind clinical trial was held to elucidate the impact of low-level laser therapy to manage orthodontic treatment-associated pain.

Overall, 36 patients who fulfilled the inclusion criteria were recruited for laser therapy after initiation of fixed orthodontic therapy. For each participant, one half-arch was treated with laser (HL) and the control half-arch (HC) received the same protocol but without active light. Utilizing the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), pain assessment was performed.

After the application of the orthodontic device, an elevation in pain was observed in the initial hours.  The VAS score values were highest after 24 hours and decreased towards the 7th day. Compared to the HC, the pain considerably decreased in the HL in all the three evaluated moments. In comparison with the control half-arch, the laser half-arch exhibited a significant reduction in pain levels.

In patients with orthodontic treatment, low-level laser therapy led to a substantial improvement in pain levels.