Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 9, 2025
Author Spotlight: Developing Photo-Stimulation Technology for Toxin Removal in Sleep-Related Brain Diseases
Published on: June 28, 2024
Effect of light-emitting diode-mediated photobiomodulation on extraction space closure in adolescents and young
Safa Al-Shafi1, Nikolaos Pandis2, M Ali Darendeliler1
1Discipline of Orthodontics and Paediatric Dentistry, School of Dentistry, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Department of Orthodontics, Sydney Dental Hospital, Sydney South Local Health District, Australia.
Introduction:
This split-mouth trial aimed to examine the effects of light-emitting diode (LED)-mediated photobiomodulation compared with no photobiomodulation on maxillary canine distalization.
Methods:
Twenty participants (10 males and 10 females; aged 11-20 years) requiring bilateral extraction of maxillary first premolars were included from the Sydney Dental Hospital waiting list. After premolar extractions, leveling, and alignment, canines were retracted on 0.020-in stainless steel wires with coil springs delivering 150 g of force to each side. Each patient's right side was randomly assigned to experimental or control using www.randomisation.com, and allocation concealment was performed with sequentially numbered, opaque, sealed envelopes. The experimental side received 850 nm wavelength, 60 mW/cm2 power, continuous LED with OrthoPulse device (Biolux Research Ltd, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada) for 5 min/d. For the control side, the device was blocked with opaque black film. Patients were reviewed at 4-week intervals for force reactivation and intraoral scanning over 12 weeks. The primary outcome was the amount of tooth movement, and secondary outcomes were anchorage loss and canine rotation, all measured digitally. Blinding for study participants and the treating clinician was not possible; however, blinding was done for the measurements by deidentifying the digital scans. Linear mixed models were implemented for the data analysis.
Results:
Nineteen participants concluded the study. Data analysis showed that the treatment × time interaction was not significant, suggesting no difference in space closure (unstandardized regression coefficient [b], 0.12; 95% confidence interval [CI], -0.05 to 0.29; P = 0.17), canine rotation (b, 0.21; 95% CI, -0.82 to 1.25; P = 0.69), and anchorage loss (b, -0.01, 95% CI, -0.28 to 0.26, P = 0.94). No harms were noted.
Conclusions:
Daily 5-minute application of LED did not result in clinically meaningful differences during extraction space closure compared with no LED application.
Registration:
Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN12616000652471).
Protocol:
The protocol was not published before trial commencement.
Funding:
This research was funded by the Australian Society of Orthodontists Foundation for Research and Education.
