Efficacy of low level laser therapy on neurosensory recovery after injury to the inferior alveolar nerve

Four female patients had complaints of paresthesia and dysesthesia of the lip, chin and gingiva, and buccal regions. Each patient had undergone mandibular third molar surgery at least 1 year before. All patients were treated with low level laser therapy. Clinical neurosensory tests (the brush stroke directional discrimination test, 2-point discrimination test, and a subjective assessment of neurosensory function using a visual analog scale) were used before and after treatment, and the responses were plotted over time.When the neurosensory assessment scores after treatment with LLL therapy were compared with the baseline values prior to treatment, there was a significant acceleration in the time course, as well as in the magnitude, of neurosensory return. The VAS analysis revealed progressive improvement over time.Low level laser therapy seemed to be conducive to the reduction of long-standing sensory nerve impairment following third molar surgery. Further studies are worthwhile regarding the clinical application of this treatment modality.The close anatomic relationship between the inferior alveolar nerve (IAN) and the roots of an impacted mandibular third molar tooth is well known. Therefore, the possibility of injury to the IAN resulting in paresthesia in the course of the surgical removal of the impacted mandibular third molars has been widely demonstrated [1-5]. The incidence of nerve damage after the removal of mandibular third molar teeth ranges from 0.4% to 8.4% [6-13]. In the majority of cases, altered sensation is a transitory phenomenon [1,15]. However, some persist for longer than 6 months, which can leave various degrees of long-term permanent disability.Presently, there is no standardized protocol in the evaluation and management of patients with IAN injury. There are several methods which can be used for the treatment of longstanding sensory aberrations in the IAN. A multitude of surgical modalities are currently used in nerve repair including epineur