Photobiomodulation in Periodontology and Implant Dentistry: Part 2

(Part 1 of this article can be located at www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/photob.2019.4710.) Finding evidence-based treatment strategies for low-level light therapy and the correct incorporation of these treatment methods in the clinical practice of periodontics. Photobiomodulation has been shown to have biostimulatory, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic effects that can be beneficial in periodontal and dental implant treatment procedures. In this review, we have addressed some clinical questions regarding the potential clinical application of low-level light irradiation and its photobobiomodulatory effects in periodontology and implantology. The literature was searched for in vivo (animal or clinical) articles written in English in four electronic databases of PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, and Cochrane Library until April 2019. Only studies with low irradiation doses without any thermal effects used only for their photobiomodulatory purposes were included. We were able to find relevant studies for all of our questions, and positive effects for the application of light therapy were reported in most of the studies. However, there is still a great deal of heterogeneity in terms of study designs and most importantly in light irradiation devices and the parameters used. Due to this issue, it was not possible to reach specific evidence-based irradiation protocols for the questions addressed in this review. Based on our search results, an obvious positive effect of low-level light therapy on stimulation of healing of periodontal soft and hard tissues and reduction of inflammation can be seen. Future well-designed randomized control studies with the same irradiation settings and systematic reviews evaluating the studies found on the questions mentioned are necessary to reach evidence-based recommendations.