• Journal of Dental Rehabilitation and Applied Science
• /
• v.31 no.4
• /
• pp.340-348
• /
• 2015

Peri-implantitis is the most common reason for a late failure and can occur even after years of successful osseointegration. The role of microbial plaque accumulation in the development of peri-implantitis has been well documented. On the other hand, the ideal method of implant surface decontamination to re-establish the health of peri-implant tissue remains to be determined. Removal of bacterial deposits is essential in the treatment of peri-implant infections, and various therapeutic approaches have been described in the literature, including mechanical debridement, disinfection with chemotherapeutic agents, and laser therapy. Recently, there has been a plenitude of scientific data regarding the use of laser irradiation to achieve titanium surface decontamination. Thus, research is focusing on lasers' potential use in the treatment of peri-implantitis. The aim of this literature review is to analyze and evaluate the efficacy of laser therapy for the treatment of peri-implantitis.

• Journal of Dental Anesthesia and Pain Medicine
• /
• v.19 no.5
• /
• pp.289-294
• /
• 2019

Background: Pain, limitations in opening, asymmetrical jaw movements, and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) sounds are the most common findings in temporomandibular joint disorders (TMDs), which causes excruciating pain, inflammation of the surrounding muscles, posterior fibers, and synovial fluid. This study aimed to evaluate and compare the effects of ultrasound heat therapy and low-level laser therapy (LLLT) in reducing TMD-related pain. Methods: This prospective study included 42 patients (age range, 25-45 years), who were divided into two groups of 21 patients each. All patients were prescribed a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) twice a day for 5 days for temporary relief of pain prior to the commencement of treatment. Patients were kept on a soft diet and asked to restrict mouth opening during the same period. Fifteen sessions of LLLT (Group A) or ultrasound therapy (Group B) were administered to the affected side. Results: Post-therapy, the mean visual analog scale score for group A and group B was 4.81 (2.01) and 6.19 (1.20), respectively; the difference was statistically significant and favoring the LLLT group. Similarly, the mean mouth opening for group A and group B was 3.99 (0.40) and 3.65 (0.41), respectively; the difference was statistically significant and favoring the LLLT group. Conclusion: Our study recommends LLLT for treating TMD-related pain with no underlying bony pathology.

• Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science
• /
• v.13 no.2
• /
• pp.231-239
• /
• 2024

Objective: This study was conducted to investigate the effect of high-intensity laser therapy(HILT), transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation(TENS), and ultrasound(US) treatment on pain, grip strength, and hand function in patients who had undergone carpal tunnel syndrome surgery. Design: A randomized controlled trial. Methods: Thirty patients who had undergone carpal tunnel syndrome surgery were randomly assigned to receive either TENS combined with HILT, US combined with HILT, or only HILT as the control group. Treatments were applied around the surgical site, and pre- and post-treatment changes were evaluated. Pain was assessed using NPRS, hand symptoms using CTS-6 and BCTQ-SSS, grip strength with an electronic dynamometer, and hand function using BCTQ-FSS. Treatments were administered seven times over two weeks. Results: The pain and symptoms were significantly reduced(p<0.05) and grip strength and hand function were significantly increased(p<0.05) after treatment compared to before treatment for all subjects. Pain was significantly reduced(p<0.05) and grip strength was significantly increased(p<0.05) in the TESN+HILT group and US+HILT group compared to the Control group. Hand symptoms were significantly reduced(p<0.05) and hand function significantly increased(p<0.05) in the TENS+HILT group compared to the Control group. Conclusions: TENS combined with HILT was found to be more effective than US combined with HILT in reducing pain and symptoms and improving grip strength and hand function in patients following carpal tunnel syndrome surgery. These findings suggest that these treatment modalities can be beneficially applied in clinical practice.

• Biomedical Science Letters
• /
• v.17 no.4
• /
• pp.363-366
• /
• 2011

Eradication of $H.$ $pylori$, usually carried out by using antimicrobial agents, is essential for preventing gastric ulcers and cancers. The $H.$ $pylori$ isolates, however, have continuously grown antimicrobial resistance, which have caused difficulty in treating the bacteria and in turn, photodynamic therapy (PDT) has been found to be effective in inducing deaths of variety of bacteria. After PDT treatment, the number of colony forming units (CFU), the morphologic changes, and flow cytometry were observed. In the PDT group containing 100 and 200 ${\mu}g$/ml photogem, no live $H.$ $pylori$ was observed, while 10 and 50 ${\mu}g$/ml photogem were only partially effective. $H.$ $pylori$ of the PDT group also displayed distortion and shrinkage in morphology. This study demonstrated that photogem-mediated PDT effectively induces deaths of $H.$ $pylori$.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
• /
• v.32 no.4
• /
• pp.319-327
• /
• 2011

Skeletal muscle fatigue is defined as a 'any reduction in the maximal capacity to generate force or power output', and is the reduction of oxygen consumption and by-product of metabolism. For the muscle fatigue therapy, low level laser has been introduced that leads the mitochondrial respiratory and attributes the muscle fatigue recovery. This study analyzed the muscle fatigue signals from electromyography(EMG) during low-level laser therapy (LLLT). Healthy subjects performed voluntary elbow flexion-extension excercise and received placebo LLLT and active LLLT using a 830 nm laser diode. Then, EMG were measured for the evaluation of muscle fatigue. The acquired EMG data were analyzed with median frequency and short time fourier transform methods. The results showed that the LLLT had a significant symptomatic relief of muscle fatigue based on the EMG frequency analysis. Therefore, the muscle fatigue analysis with EMG signals can be applied to quantitative evaluation for the monitoring of LLLT effects.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
• /
• v.21 no.1
• /
• pp.25-36
• /
• 1996

To investigate the effect of low level laser therapy, the author selected 37 dental students with tender points in both masseters and trapeziuses, also measured maximum comportable opening(MCO), Numerical analog scale(NAS) and pressure pain threshold (PPT). 20 subjects were assigned randomly and were treated with GaAlAs diode laser after ultrasound. The other 17 subjects were treated with ultrasound and laser without irradiation. All the subjects were treated after 2 and 4 day respectively and were examined again after 6 days. And the obtained results were as follows : 1. The MCO of irradiated group increased more significantly after treatment than non-irradiated group. 2. The NAS of irradiated group decreased more significantly after treatment than non-irradiated group. 3. The PPT or irradiated group increased more significantly after treatment than non-irradiated group.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
• /
• v.33 no.3
• /
• pp.128-134
• /
• 2012

Currently, high-intensity laser therapy (HILT) is increasingly used in various muscle disorders like muscle tension. Our proposed study includes the development of the real-time monitoring system using a myotonometer for HILT. The developed system consists of a piezoelectric sensor and laser distance sensor for muscle stiffness monitoring during the treatments. The results demonstrated that the level of muscle tension was rapidly decreased after 3 minutes of the high-intensity laser treatment when compared to the control group. The combined HILT and realtime muscle tension monitoring system may help to evaluate the therapeutic procedure and efficient treatments for various muscle pains.

• Journal of the Optical Society of Korea
• /
• v.15 no.4
• /
• pp.321-328
• /
• 2011

Various methods have been investigated to increase photon density in soft tissue, an important factor in low-level laser therapy. Previously we developed a compression-controlled low-level laser probe (CCLLP) utilizing mechanical negative compression, and experimentally verified its efficacy. In this study, we used Bezier curves to numerically simulate the skin deformation and photon density variation generated by the CCLLP. In addition, we numerically modeled changes in optical coefficients due to skin deformation using a linearization technique with appropriate parameterization. The simulated results were consistent with both human in vivo and porcine ex vivo experimental results, confirming the efficacy of the CCLLP.

• Journal of Dental Rehabilitation and Applied Science
• /
• v.30 no.4
• /
• pp.307-314
• /
• 2014

Although a laser has been introduced to implant dentistry for decades, its efficacy is still open debate. The aim of this literature review is to analyze and evaluate the efficacy of laser therapy for the treatment of dentinal hypersensitivity and periodontal conditions.

• Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
• /
• v.44 no.5
• /
• pp.227-234
• /
• 2014

Purpose: Dentin hypersensitivity is a potential threat to oral health. Laser irradiation may provide reliable and reproducible treatment but remains controversial. The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of $CO_2$ or erbium-doped yttrium aluminium garnet (Er:YAG) laser therapy, and to assess mineral content. Methods: Eighteen human single-rooted teeth affected with advanced periodontitis were obtained. Buccal and lingual surfaces were planed to form 36 specimens. Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid gel (24%) was applied to remove the smear layer and simulate hypersensitive teeth. The experimental groups were: group 1, control (no irradiation); group 2, $CO_2$ laser (repetitive pulsed mode, 2 W, $2.7J/cm^2$); and group 3, Er:YAG laser (slight contact mode, 40 mJ/pulse and 10 Hz). To evaluate dentinal tubule occlusion, six specimens per group (2-mm thickness) were prepared and observed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for calculation of the occlusion percentage. To evaluate the mineral content, six specimens per group (0.6-mm thickness) were used, and then the levels of Ca, K, Mg, Na, and P were measured by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry. In addition, the surface temperature of the specimens during laser irradiation was analyzed by a thermograph. Results: The SEM photomicrographs indicated melted areas around exposed dentinal tubules and a significantly greater percentage of tubular occlusion in the $CO_2$ and Er:YAG laser groups than the control, and in the Er:YAG group than the $CO_2$ laser group. In addition, no significant differences were noted among the experimental groups for the mineral elements analyzed. The $CO_2$ laser group showed an evident thermal effect compared to the Er:YAG group. Conclusions: $CO_2$ and Er:YAG laser are effective in treating dentin hypersensitivity and reducing its symptoms. However, the Er:YAG laser has a more significant effect; thus, it may constitute a useful conditioning item. Furthermore, neither $CO_2$ nor Er:YAG lasers affected the compositional structure of the mineral content.