The effect of low level laser therapy on orthodontic tooth movement

The aim of the study was to investigate if the low level laser therapy (LLLT) associated to mechanical forces stimulates the rate of orthodontic tooth movement. The study was conducted on 10 young adult subjects who required retraction of maxillary canines into first premolar extraction sites using tension elastic chain with fixed appliance. LLLT at an intensity of 20 mW/cm(2) was applied for 10 days buccally to the canine on the test side and using a pseudo application on the placebo site. Dental impressions, casts and profile cephalographs were taken at the beginning of the trial and 10 days post LLLT treatment, Data of the biometrical progress on both sites (study and control) were statistically compared. All subjects showed significant acceleration of the retraction of canines on the side treated with LLLT when compared to the control (p < 0.05). Our findings suggest that LLLT does accelerate human teeth movement and could therefore shorten the whole treatment duration.