Can the severity of orofacial myofunctional conditions interfere with the response of analgesia promoted by active or placebo low-level laser therapy?

ABSTRACT

Objective

To analyze the influence of orofacial myofunctional condition (OMC) on pain perception, temporomandibular disorders (TMD) severity, and the response to low-level laser therapy (LLLT) in women with painful TMD.

Methods

Seventy-eight women, 59 with TMD, received active laser (30) or placebo (29), with 19 controls. OMC, TMD severity, pain intensity, and pressure pain threshold (PPT) were assessed at different times during the masticatory test: before treatment (LLLT dose: 780nm), during, and after 30 days.

Results

No correlation was found between OMC and pain perception or TMD severity (p > 0.05). The active and placebo LLLT showed reduction of pain during chewing and better recovery levels during the rest period (p > 0.05), without differences between OMC groups.

Discussion

The perception of pain and severity of TMD are not correlated with the OMC, and the response of analgesia promoted by active LLLT or placebo is not associated with OMC.

KEYWORDS:

• Temporomandibular joint disorders
• pain
• low-level laser therapy
• pain measurement

Acknowledgments

The authors thank the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES) for the financial assistance during the entire period of research execution.

Ethical Approval and Informed Consent

All procedures were performed in accordance with the guidelines of the Brazilian Ethics Committee on Human Research. This study was conducted after approval by the Ethics Committee of the School of Dentistry of Ribeirão Preto (under protocol: 26044813.5.0000.5419). All subjects were informed about the study and signed a consent form (approved by the Ethics Committee). Patients who composed the placebo group and did not have pain reduction after the study completion were invited to receive treatment with LLLT, in the same parameters of the active laser group.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Funding

The current study was financially supported by Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES, Brazil).