Photobiomodulation for Managing "Dry Socket": A Randomised Controlled Trial.

Area of Science:

• Dentistry
• Oral Surgery
• Pain Management

Background:

• Alveolar osteitis (AO), commonly known as dry socket, is a painful post-operative complication following tooth extraction.
• Current management often involves mechanical curettage and dressings, but pain relief can be suboptimal.
• The adjunctive role of photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) in managing AO pain has not been extensively studied.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of Alveogyl, with or without adjunct PBMT, in reducing self-rated post-operative pain (SPP) in patients diagnosed with AO.
• To compare different treatment modalities for AO pain management, including mechanical curettage, Alveogyl dressings, and PBMT.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial included adult, non-smoking patients with diagnosed AO.
• Patients were assigned to four groups: mechanical curettage (MC) alone, MC + Alveogyl, MC + Alveogyl + PBMT, and PBMT alone.
• Self-rated post-operative pain was assessed using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) at 6- and 12-hour intervals for up to 3 days post-operatively.

Main Results:

• No significant differences in SPP were observed among the groups at baseline or on day 1.
• On days 2 and 3, patients treated with MC + Alveogyl + PBMT (Group 3) reported significantly lower VAS scores compared to those treated with MC + Alveogyl (Group 2) or PBMT alone (Group 4).
• No significant difference in SPP was found between the MC + Alveogyl + PBMT group and the PBMT alone group on day 3.

Conclusions:

• Photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) when used as an adjunct to mechanical curettage and Alveogyl dressing significantly enhances pain reduction in patients with alveolar osteitis.
• This combined therapy (MC + Alveogyl + PBMT) is more effective in managing self-rated post-operative pain than mechanical curettage with or without Alveogyl dressing alone.