Title: Evaluation of the functional treatment of skeletal Class II malocclusion with low-level laser-therapy-assisted Twin Block appliance: a three-arm randomized controlled trial

Abstract:

Background: Different techniques have been used to reduce functional treatment time including low-level laser therapy (LLLT) and the majority of studies have been conducted on animals. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to evaluate the effects LLLT on improving orthodontic functional treatment.
Methods: Study design: This study was three-arm, parallel-group, randomized controlled trial.
Patients were selected using the following inclusion criteria: skeletal Class II division 1 malocclusion (SNB angle 73-78°), ANB angle between 4-9°, over-jet between 5-9 mm. Forty-eight patients were randomly allocated into three equal groups. In the LLLT-TB group, the low-level laser device was used with a wave length of 808 nm and power of 250 mWatt in addition to functional treatment with Twin block appliance. The laser was applied on the skin at the bilateral temporomandibular joint (TMJ) regions, at five points, each point received 5 joules of laser during 20 seconds. The laser course was twice a week in the first month, and every two weeks in the second month, and every 3 weeks up to the end of treatment. The TB group received functional treatment with Twin block appliance, while the control group had no treatment for 9 months.
Results: There were statistically significant differences in treatment periods between the LLLT-TB group and the TB group (129 days, 235 days respectively, p-value <0.001). The change in the effective mandibular length (CoGn) was the highest in the LLLT-TB group compared with the TB and control groups (4.41 mm, 3.66 mm and 1.07 mm respectively, P-value <0.001).
Conclusions: Application of low-level laser on the condylar region accelerates functional treatment and linear measurements were higher in laser group than in the control one.
Registration: This trial was registered at Clinical Trials.gov with a TRN (NCT03239912) on August 4, 2017, before the enrollment of the first participant.
Keywords: Functional treatment, Class II malocclusion, low-level laser therapy

Biography:

Experienced Orthodontist with a demonstrated history of working in the higher education industry. Skilled in Strategic Planning, Research, and Management. Strong healthcare services professional.