Comparative Evaluation of the Effect of Photobiomodulation on Pain Reduction in Individuals Undergoing Segmental Retraction Using a Closing Loop: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial

Pain following orthodontic treatment is a common reason for apprehension and treatment discontinuation. Research on modalities to control pain in orthodontic patients has gained special attention. Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) is studied as an alternative pain management modality free of the adverse effects of analgesic medications. This study evaluated the effectiveness of photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) for pain control following the activation of a closing loop for canine retraction. This is a split-mouth, placebo-controlled, single-blinded randomized clinical trial that evaluated 16 patients who need canine retraction using closing loops. Two maxillary quadrants were allotted into test and control groups using the coin toss method. In the test group, a low-intensity laser with 810 nm wavelength for 60 seconds in pulsated non-contact mode was used in the buccal, palatal, mesial, and distal regions of the canine immediately after activating the loop. The control site received placebo radiation. The pain level was recorded 2, 24, 48, and 72 hours after intervention in the control and test groups using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). The test and control groups were compared using Student's t-test. A p-value ≤0.05 was considered statistically significant. Analyses were conducted using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 25.0 (Released 2017; IBM Corp., Armonk, New York, United States). Both groups had a significant statistical difference in the pain score. The laser group showed a statistically significant lower pain score compared to the control group at all time points. Photobiomodulation by 810 nm 300 mW diode laser can effectively reduce pain following the retraction of maxillary canines.