Introduction
Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a chronic inflammatory disease that can be painful, mainly in the atrophic and erosive forms. Numerous drugs have been studied but most treatments are empirical. However, to date, the most commonly employed and useful agents for the treatment of OLP are topical corticosteroids. The study objective was to detail the clinical effectiveness of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) in combination with a non surgical periodontal protocol for the management of OLP unresponsive to standard topical therapy.
Methods
The authors studied a prospective cohort of 6 patients affected by OLP, who received biostimulation with a 980-nm gallium-aluminum-arsenide (GaAIAs) diode laser in combination with professional oral hygiene therapy. For all patients were evaluated parameters of severity of injury (SEVERITY SCORE) and reported symptoms (VAS) before and after the proposed protocol.
Results
Patients showed a decrease in the severity of the clinical appearance in the first two weeks of treatment. The statistical analysis did not show a significant reduction of clinical score; 5 patients reported symptoms’ improvement. The statistical comparison of symptoms showed a significant reduction in VAS (P<0.05).
Discussion
To date, few studies have confirmed the efficacy of LLLT to decrease the symptoms of OLP gingival lesions. Our study showed that LLLT is effective in faster reducing pain if associated with non-surgical periodontal therapy. This combined therapy, in the protocols of previous scientific papers, was not practiced and treatment time was extensive and took over a month, while in our work, we obtained significant results within only two weeks.
Conclusion
The LLLT, in association with oral hygiene treatment, might be a feasible alternative in OLP patients with desquamative gingivitis, because it is easy and simple to perform, free of side effects, acting in a short period in reducing reported symptoms.
References
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