Clinical Outcomes of Photobiomodulation Therapy for Inferior Alveolar Nerve Injury: A Retrospective Analysis
Halenur Ates1, Yavuz Tolga Korkmaz1
1Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Faculty of Dentistry, Karadeniz Technical University, Trabzon, Türkiye.
Objectives:
This retrospective study evaluated the clinical outcomes associated with a photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) protocol in patients with inferior alveolar nerve (IAN) injury following oral and maxillofacial surgery. The study specifically investigated whether the etiology of paresthesia, the time elapsed before treatment initiation, and the number of PBMT sessions were associated with variations in clinical outcomes.
Methods:
A retrospective analysis was conducted on 66 affected sides in 55 patients (39 female and 16 males; mean age 35.69 ± 14.49, range 15-80). The study sample consisted of patients with IAN injury due to maxillofacial surgery who were treated with PBMT and followed for at least 6 months. Patients were grouped based on the number of sessions (< 15 vs. ≥ 15), timing of treatment initiation (within vs. after 1 month), and surgical etiology (orthognathic vs. other procedures). Clinical neurosensory tests (two-point discrimination, light touch, pinprick) and Visual Analog Scale (VAS) assessments were performed.
Results:
Improvements in VAS scores and clinical neurosensory test results were observed during the follow-up period (p < 0.05). No statistically significant differences were found between groups regarding overall outcomes. Although earlier treatment initiation and a higher number of sessions were associated with higher neurosensory scores, these factors did not reach statistical significance in multivariable analysis. Patients with orthognathic surgery-related injuries demonstrated significantly lower neurosensory scores compared to other surgical etiologies (p < 0.05). Follow-up duration was not significantly associated with clinical outcomes.
Conclusion:
Within the limitations of this retrospective observational study, PBMT was associated with improvements in neurosensory outcomes in patients with IAN injury. However, due to the absence of a control group and the heterogeneity of surgical etiologies, these findings should be interpreted with caution, and a causal relationship cannot be established. Further well-designed controlled studies are needed to clarify the potential role of PBMT.
