ABSTRACT
Since the conceptualization of using laser sources as a therapeutic
device in the late 1960s, cellular, animal, and human clinical
trials have investigated the mechanisms by which clinical effects
are achieved as well as the ever-expanding clinical applications.
From a clinical perspective, photobiomodulation (PBM) offers
dental practitioners a treatment modality that can be used as an
adjunct to traditional methodologies or as a therapeutic tool on
its own. Applications such as post-extraction healing, reduction
of edema and muscle trismus, dental analgesia, treatment of
dentin hypersensitivity, soft tissue healing, and osseointegration
of implants have been studied in numerous in vivo and in vitro studies, which have helped identify specific wavelengths and energy
densities for optimal clinical outcomes. PBM is easy to apply by the
dental auxiliary staff (in most jurisdictions) and is well tolerated by
all ages and conditions, making it well accepted by patients. This
section will investigate the evidence-based applications of PBM in
a dental clinic, with reference to a number of clinical case studies.
