Lack of clinical evidence on low-level laser therapy (LLLT) on dental titanium implant: a systematic review

Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) has proved to have biostimulating effects on tissues over which they are applied, therefore accelerating the healing process. Most studies in implantology were focused on a reduction of the duration of osseointegration. There exist few articles analyzing the potential effects of these therapies on the osseointegration of titanium dental implants. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of LLLT on the interaction between the bone and the titanium dental implant and the methodological quality of the studies. We conducted an electronic search in PubMed, ISI Web, and Cochrane Library. From 37 references obtained, only 14 articles met the inclusion criteria. The analysis of the studies shows that most of the experiments were performed in animals, which have a high risk of bias from the methodological point of view. Only two studies were conducted in human bone under different conditions. Several protocols for the use of low-power laser and different types of laser for all studies analyzed were used. Although animal studies have shown a positive effect on osseointegration of titanium implants, it can be concluded that it is necessary to improve and define a unique protocol to offer a more conclusive result by meta-analysis.