Laser therapy on points of acupuncture: Are there benefits in dentistry?

Studies have shown the use of laser therapy at points of acupuncture as an alternative to metal needles. The scientific literature in the area of laser acupuncture is rather large; however, the actual mechanisms and effects have not yet been proven in detail. Therefore, the current manuscript reviews the existing literature regarding the effects of laser acupuncture in Dentistry, seeking treatment modalities in which this technique is used and which are able to generate positive clinical results. Thus, the literature survey was conducted in electronic databases--Medline/Pubmed, VHL and Science Direct--using the uniterms "alternative medicine", "low-power laser and acupuncture", "laser acupuncture and dentistry" and "laser therapy and acupuncture". Retrospective and prospective clinical studies were considered. According to the findings of the literature, laser therapy at points of acupuncture was effective for the treatment of various orofacial problems encountered in dentistry, but there are still many differences among the parameters used for irradiation and there is a lack of important information reported by the studies, such as the wavelength, dose, power density, irradiation time and frequency, points of acupuncture selected for irradiation and therapy outcomes. Although these results indicate the potential benefit of the use of laser therapy at points of acupuncture on Dentistry, further double-blinded, controlled clinical trials should be carried out in order to standardize protocols for clinical application.