Low-level laser therapy and invisible removal aligners.

Area of Science:

• Orthodontics
• Biotechnology
• Dental Medicine

Background:

• Orthodontic treatments often involve prolonged wear times for aligners.
• Low Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) has shown potential in stimulating bone turnover and accelerating tooth movement.
• Integrating LLLT with clear aligner therapy could offer a more efficient and comfortable treatment experience.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the influence of LLLT on orthodontic tooth movement using invisible removable aligners.
• To compare treatment outcomes between patients receiving LLLT and a control group.
• To assess the potential of LLLT to reduce aligner wear time.

Main Methods:

• A sample of 21 subjects was divided into a laser group (10 patients) and a control group (11 patients).
• All subjects wore aligners for 12 hours daily.
• The laser group received external bio-stimulation with LLLT every second week.

Main Results:

• The laser group successfully completed treatment, whereas the control group did not complete treatment at the 3rd-5th aligner stage.
• LLLT combined with aligners achieved the same tooth movement in 12 hours as traditional protocols requiring 22 hours of wear.
• Laser treatment demonstrated superior outcomes compared to treatment without laser.

Conclusions:

• LLLT significantly enhances the efficacy of invisible removable aligner treatment.
• Combining LLLT with aligners allows for reduced daily wear time, improving patient compliance and comfort.
• LLLT presents a promising adjunctive therapy for accelerating orthodontic tooth movement with clear aligners.