Adjunctive Low-Level Laser Therapy fails to reduce Postoperative Pain in irreversible pulpitis: Study

Dr. Shravani Dali

Adjunctive Low-Level Laser Therapy fails to reduce Postoperative Pain in irreversible pulpitis: Study

Written By : Dr. Shravani Dali |Medically Reviewed By : Dr. Kamal Kant Kohli Published On 2026-03-12T20:30:08+05:30 | Updated On 13 March 2026 11:43 AM IST

Researchers have found in a pragmatic emergency-care study that adjunctive low-level laser therapy did not demonstrate a reduction in postoperative pain in permanent teeth with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis.

A study was done to evaluate postoperative pain following emergency pulpectomy in permanent teeth diagnosed with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis and to compare outcomes with or without adjunctive low-level laser therapy (LLLT). This parallel, randomized, single-blind clinical trial included 70 patients with permanent teeth diagnosed with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis.

Patients were randomly assigned to two groups (n = 35 each): the experimental group received gallium-aluminum-arsenide laser therapy (808 nm, 100 mW), while the control group received no laser intervention. Postoperative pain was assessed using the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS-10) and the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). Bite sensitivity was evaluated before and after emergency treatment. Demographic characteristics and analgesic intake were recorded.

The primary outcome was postoperative spontaneous pain assessed at multiple time points. Secondary outcomes included bite sensitivity and analgesic intake. Time-dependent reductions in postoperative pain were observed in both groups. Inter-group comparisons showed statistically significant differences at isolated time points (12 and 24 h), with higher pain scores in the experimental group; however, these differences did not translate into a significant overall treatment effect. Longitudinal analysis accounting for repeated measures demonstrated a significant effect of time (p = 0.001), while treatment group was not a significant determinant of postoperative pain.

Effect estimates are presented with 95% confidence intervals. Within the limitations of this pragmatic emergency-care study, adjunctive low-level laser therapy was not associated with a reduction in postoperative pain in permanent teeth with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis.

Reference:

Freitas-Júnior, Sérgio Alves Guida, et al. "Postoperative Pain After Emergency Pulpectomy With or Without Photobiomodulation in Symptomatic Irreversible Pulpitis a Randomized Clinical Trial." Scientific Reports, 2026.

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Source : Scientific Reports

Dr. Shravani Dali

Dr. Shravani Dali has completed her BDS from Pravara institute of medical sciences, loni. Following which she extensively worked in the healthcare sector for 2+ years. She has been actively involved in writing blogs in field of health and wellness. Currently she is pursuing her Masters of public health-health administration from Tata institute of social sciences. She can be contacted at editorial@medicaldialogues.in.

Dr. Kamal Kant Kohli

Dr Kamal Kant Kohli-MBBS, DTCD- a chest specialist with more than 30 years of practice and a flair for writing clinical articles, Dr Kamal Kant Kohli joined Medical Dialogues as a Chief Editor of Medical News. Besides writing articles, as an editor, he proofreads and verifies all the medical content published on Medical Dialogues including those coming from journals, studies,medical conferences,guidelines etc. Email: drkohli@medicaldialogues.in. Contact no. 011-43720751