ArticleJournal of dental anesthesia and pain medicine2019
Comparative evaluation of low-level laser therapy and ultrasound heat therapy in reducing temporomandibular joint disorder pain.
Article in Journal of dental anesthesia and pain medicine, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT07378462 (A Retrospective Randomized Controlled Study Comparing Low-Level Laser Therapy and Ultrasound Therapy for Pain Reduction in Temporomandibular Disorders), which is not on this map. Cited by 11 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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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.
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.
A Retrospective Randomized Controlled Study Comparing Low-Level Laser Therapy and Ultrasound Therapy for Pain Reduction in Temporomandibular Disorders
Who cites it
11 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Effectiveness of the Laser Application in Temporomandibular Joint Disorder: A Systematic Review of 1172 Patients.Pain research & management · 2020Pooled it
- Low-level laser therapy in temporomandibular joint disorders: a systematic review.Journal of medicine and lifePooled it
- Comparative effectiveness of therapeutic ultrasound and pharmacotherapy in the management of muscular temporomandibular disorders: a randomized clinical trial.Frontiers in oral health · 2026Trial
- Trial
- Article
- Physiotherapy Approaches for Temporomandibular Disorders: A Multimodal Conservative Management Strategy.Cureus · 2025Review
- Efficacy of TENS, ultrasound and low level laser in the management of TMJ disorder.Bioinformation · 2025Article
- Efficacy of the transcutaneous electrostimulation in treatment dysfunctions of the TMJ associated with occlusion distortions.BMC oral health · 2023Article
- Assessments of Muscle Thickness and Tonicity of the Masseter and Sternocleidomastoid Muscles and Maximum Mouth Opening in Patients with Temporomandibular Disorder.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2021Article
- Role of Photobiomodulation Therapy in Modulating Oxidative Stress in Temporomandibular Disorders. A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Human Randomised Controlled Trials.Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland) · 2021Review
- Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundPain, 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.
methodsThis 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.
resultsPost-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.
conclusionOur study recommends LLLT for treating TMD-related pain with no underlying bony pathology.
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Registered trials
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