Low-level laser therapy, which uses special lights to stimulate cell function, may offer immediate pain relief from burning mouth syndrome, according to a press release recently released from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
Although there was a small rise in average pain scores in the week following the last treatment, it remained significantly lower than the initial scores, according to the study conducted by university researchers.
Characterized by persistent intraoral burning or abnormal sensations without lesions, burning mouth syndrome causes pain, discomfort, and affects quality of life. Worldwide, millions of people, specifically women, have the condition, which is complicated to diagnose and treat.
To explore the use of laser therapy in the treatment of burning mouth syndrome, 30 patients with the condition received intraoral treatment for 10 weeks. Pain assessments were conducted using the visual analog scale (VAS) immediately after each treatment, with a calculation of weekly average VAS scores aiming to evaluate both the immediate and long-term effects of the therapy.
After treatments, patients experienced a substantial decrease in the initial VAS score, from 7.80 to 2.07 (p < 0.001). In the week following the last treatment, there was a slight increase in the average pain score to 5.73. However, it remained significantly lower than the initial score (p = 0.017).
Additionally, patients experienced continued improvement in pain relief with additional treatments, particularly up to the third laser therapy session. Furthermore, the therapy demonstrated enhanced efficacy for men or those experiencing pain on only one side of their mouth (p = 0.017, 0.022, respectively).
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