Low Level Lazer Therapy For Accelerated Orthodontic Tooth Movement – Review

Contemporarily, more adult patients seek orthodontic treatment. This increasing number of adult patients who usually demand good results in a short treatment period and the possible side effects of a prolonged orthodontic treatment (such as caries, white spot lesions, peridontal problems and root resorption) lead researches to search for methods that accelerate orthodontic tooth movement. Low-level laser therapy, electrical current, pulsed electromagnetic fields, corticotomy, distraction osteogenesis and mechanical vibration can be listed among the methods that intend to increase the orthodontic tooth movement rate. This paper aims to review the current literature about low-level laser therapy (LLLT), which is one of the physiological approaches for accelerated orthodontic tooth movement. There are many studies on animal and human subjects, which report positive effects of LLLT on orthodontic tooth movement rate. However there are also studies that found no acceleratory effects of LLLT. In an overview of the literature, it can be concluded that more studies are necessary to clarify the clinical application methods and effects on humans. Still, considering the advantages of LLLT such as easy application, no patient discomfort, reducing orthodontically induced pain, being a non-invasive, periodontally safe and physiological approach, it can be foreseen that LLLT can have clinical use and benefits