Efficacy of Low-Level Laser Therapy in the Treatment of Temporomandibular Disorders: Narrative Review

Temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) are a group of conditions that cause dysfunction in the jaw joint, masticatory muscle pain and mouth opening limitations, and affects patients’ ability to eat, practice oral health, and perform other activities of daily living. The etiology of TMDs is not well-known. These disorders have a higher prevalence in women and younger people. Although the benefits of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) in treating TMD have been reported, the results vary from study to study.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of LLLT in the treatment of TMDs

In this narrative review study, a search was conducted in Google Scholar, PubMed, and Scopus databases for randomized clinical trials, case-control studies, and systematic reviews published from 1976 to 2023 using the keywords (Mesh terms) temporomandibular disorder, low-level laser therapy, LLLT, and myofascial pain. 

Of 271 found articles, only 8 were included in the study, of which 6 confirmed that the LLLT was effective in the treatment of TMDs. One article concluded that superluminous devices are more effective than LLLT and one article concluded that LLLT is not effective in treating TMDs.

The LLLT is effective in the treatment of TMDs and its related disorders, such as masticatory muscle disorder, temporal joint pain, and difficulty in jaw opening. The nuber of studies are limited and definite conclusions cannot be drawn. Therefore, further studies are needed in this field.