Effect of single low level laser therapy on initial pain during fixed orthodontic treatment

PURPOSE: To investigate the effect of single low level laser therapy on initial pain during fixed orthodontic treatment. METHODS: Sixty patients who underwent fixed orthodontic treatment in our hospital from January 2015 to December 2017 were enrolled.Patients were divided into 2 groups by random number table method, 30 in each group. Patients in the experimental group were treated with a single low level laser therapy ,while patients in the control group were treated with a placebo.The results of the 2 groups were compared in regard to spontaneous pain and chewing pain during the day and night using SPSS 22.0 software package. RESULTS: Spontaneous pain during day and night with 0.012, 0.014 inch superelastic nickel-titanium (NiTi) line was significantly lower in the experimental group than in the control group(P 0.05).Chewing pain with 0.012, 0.014, 0.016, and 0.018 inch NiTi lines in the experimental group was significantly lower than that in the control group(P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Single low level laser therapy significantly reduced postoperative pain while placing a superelastic NiTi wire for initial alignment and correction.