SynthesisCoDAS2022
Effects of low-level laser photobiomodulation on the masticatory function and mandibular movements in adults with temporomandibular disorder: a systematic review with meta-analysis.
Synthesis in CoDAS, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 12 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled 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.
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.
Who cites it
12 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Umbrella review of low-level light therapy: evidence across clinical conditions.Lasers in medical science · 2026Pooled it
- Laser acupuncture to reduce temporomandibular disorder (TMD) symptoms: systematic review and meta-analysis.Lasers in medical science · 2024Pooled it
- Laser treatment for temporomandibular disorder: a randomized controlled clinical trial.Lasers in medical science · 2025Trial
- Effects of myotherapy combined with photobiomodulation on the lips: a randomized clinical trial.CoDAS · 2025Trial
- Bone marrow stromal cells enhance chondrocyte function and autophagy via mTOR signaling.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Photobiomodulation on vocal training and rehabilitation: Delphi consensus based on experts.CoDAS · 2025Article
- Long-Term Benefits of Photobiomodulation Therapy on Health-Related Quality of Life in Burning Mouth Syndrome Patients: A Prospective Study.Journal of clinical medicine · 2024Article
- Temporomandibular Disorders Management-What's New? A Scoping Review.Dentistry journal · 2024Article
- The Effect of Photobiomodulation on Temporomandibular Pain and Functions in Patients With Temporomandibular Disorders: An Updated Systematic Review of the Current Randomized Controlled Trials.Journal of lasers in medical sciences · 2023Review
- Opinion of speech-language pathologist on the use of photobiomodulation in the vocal clinic.CoDAS · 2023Observational
- Therapeutic Effect of a Low-Level Laser on Acute Pain and Post-operative Mouth Opening After Closed Reduction of Mandibular-Condylar Fracture.Journal of lasers in medical sciences · 2022Article
- Efficacy of Photobiomodulation Therapy and Therapeutic Ultrasound in Temporomandibular Joint Disorder Patients - A Prospective Study.Annals of maxillofacial surgeryArticle
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
purposeTo review the effects of low-level laser photobiomodulation on masticatory function and mandibular movements in adults with temporomandibular disorder. RESEARCH STRATEGIES: Search in PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, EMBASE, Cochrane, LILACS, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar, using the following descriptors: "temporomandibular joint disorders", "low-level light therapy", "low-level laser therapy", "mastication", and "mandible". SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomized clinical trials in adults with temporomandibular disorder, using low-level laser and assessing the mastication and mandibular movements. DATA ANALYSIS: Firstly, the titles and abstracts of all retrieved studies were read. Then, only the studies selected in the first stage were read in full and assessed regarding eligibility. After the selection, the characteristics, methodological quality, and quality of evidence of the studies included in the review were analyzed. In the meta-analysis, the mean amplitude of mouth opening was considered as a measure of intervention effect.
resultsThe 10 articles included in the review had quite different results one from the other, especially regarding the amplitude of mouth opening, while the mastication was assessed in only one of them. Most studies had a high risk of bias, demonstrating a low methodological quality. Significantly higher results for photobiomodulation were identified in the six studies included in the meta-analysis.
conclusionDue to the scarcity in the literature, there is not enough evidence of the effects of low-level laser photobiomodulation on mastication. As for the mandibular movements, this intervention presented significant results, particularly in the amplitude of mouth opening.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
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.