PRELIMINARY-STUDY OF LOW-LEVEL LASER FOR TREATMENT OF LONG-STANDING SENSORY ABERRATIONS IN THE INFERIOR ALVEOLAR NERVE

Purpose: The incidence of inferior alveolar nerve (IAN) damage during removal of third molar teeth has been reported to be as high as 5.5% a nd up to 100% during sagittal split osteotomy. Sensory aberrations in the IAN persisting for longer than 6 months leave some degree of perma nent disability. The purpose of this double-blind, clinical trial was to examine the effects of low-level laser (LLL) treatment using a GaAI As laser (820 nm, Ronvig, Denmark) on touch and temperature sensory pe rception after a long-standing postsurgical IAN injury. Patients and M ethods: Thirteen patients were divided into two groups, one of which r eceived real LLL (4 x 6 J per treatment along the distribution of the IAN to a total of 20 treatments) and the other placebo LLL, The degree of mechanoreceptor injury as assessed by Semmes Weinstein Monofilamen ts (North Coast Medical, San Jose, CA) were comparable in the two grou ps before treatment. The degree of thermal sensitivity disability as a ssessed using a Thermotester (Somedic AB, Stockholm, Sweden) to examin e the indifferent temperature threshold was also comparable between th e two groups before LLL. Results: Subsequent to LLL, the real laser-tr eated group showed a significant improvement in mechanoreceptor sensor y testing (P = .01) compared with the placebo group, as manifested by a decrease in load threshold (g) necessary to elicit a response from t he most damaged area. In addition, the real LLL group reported a subje ctive improvement in sensory function. There was no significant improv ement in thermal sensitivity post-LLL for either the real or placebo l aser-treated groups. Conclusion: It was concluded that LLL can improve mechanoreceptor perception in long-standing sensory aberrations in th e IAN.