Efficiency of low-level laser therapy within induced dental movement: A systematic review and meta-analysis

The low level laser is widely used in Dentistry, in particular, to decrease pain and increase the speed of tooth movement. This study was to perform a systematic literature search to investigate the effectiveness of low level laser and low energy density therapy of the induced tooth movement. This research was performed following the PRISMA instructions and was registered in the PROSPERO. The articles were searched in six electronic databases, with no date and language restriction. Only randomized clinical trials were selected. Articles that did not use the extraction of first premolars as orthodontic planning were excluded, as well as articles using high energy density laser therapy. The articles were assessed for risk of bias and individual quality. The results were analyzed using meta-analysis, using randomized effect. The initial sample consisted of 161 articles. Six articles remained eligible for qualitative analysis and five for quantitative analysis. According to the individual quality, most articles were classified as high quality. Three articles detected statistically significant differences in induced movement by comparing the orthodontic movement between the experimental and control groups. For the maxilla, there was a statistically significant influence of the laser in three months and, for the mandible, in one month. It may be concluded that there is no evidence that laser therapy can accelerate the induced tooth movement. •The number of applications doesn't determine the effectiveness of the tooth movement.•The period of time has no influence on the acceleration of tooth movement.•There is no evidence that LLLT may accelerate the induced tooth movement.