Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31044364›Full record

SynthesisLasers in medical science2019

Efficacy of low-level laser therapy in pain management after root canal treatment or retreatment: a systematic review.

Y Chen, X L Chen, X L Zou, S Z Chen, J Zou, Y Wang

Abstract readSystematic Review
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Lasers in medical science, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 27 papers, 6 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
27citing papers in PubMed, 6 pooled it
3.6field-weighted citation impact, top 7% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

27 citing papers in PubMed, 6 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 49 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Analgesic Efficacy of Low-Level Laser Therapy for Postoperative Endodontic Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Australian endodontic journal : the journal of the Australian Society of Endodontology Inc · 2026
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Y ChenState Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China.
X L ChenState Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China.
X L ZouState Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China.
S Z ChenState Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China.
J ZouState Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases and Department of Pediatric Dentistry, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China.
Y WangState Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases and Department of Pediatric Dentistry, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China. wangyan1458@163.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7136-9353
Sichuan University · CN

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China 81600864Scientific Research Foundation for Young Teachers of Sichuan University 2017SCU11007
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) for pain management after root canal treatment or retreatment. An electronic search for randomized controlled trials was conducted prior to November 2018, through PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane library (CENTRAL), and Web of Science. After filtering, seven articles were included, five related to root canal therapy (RCT) and two related to root canal retreatment (RCR). Six of the included studies presented a moderate risk of bias and a one low risk of bias, based on the Cochrane tool of risk of bias evaluation. The laser treatment included diode laser and indium-gallium-aluminum laser. LLLT was compared with placebo, blank, and ibuprofen treatment. Clinical outcome variables included the prevalence of pain, pain intensity, and need for analgesics after treatment. Three studies showed LLLT could reduce the prevalence of pain significantly after RCT or RCR. Although the effect of LLLT on pain intensity varied at different observation time points and among different studies, most of them found patients had lower pain intensity in the LLLT group. Of the three studies that assessed the need for analgesics after treatment, two studies showed significant benefits. Based on the current evidence, the use of LLLT for pain control in postendodontic therapy may be promising. However, solid conclusions should not be drawn definitely, given that more high-quality randomized controlled trials are required to further evaluate the efficacy of LLLT for pain management after RCT and RCR.

Indexed as

Low-Level Light TherapyPain ManagementRetreatmentAdultAnalgesicsDental Pulp CavityFemaleHumansMalePainPublication BiasRisk AssessmentRoot Canal TherapyAnalgesicsLow-level laser therapyPainRoot canal retreatmentRoot canal treatmentSystematic review

Identifiers

PMID31044364
OpenAlexW2942719014

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.