Effects of Low-Level LASER Therapy on Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction-Related Pain: A Systematic Literature Review

Purpose Low-Level LASER therapy (LLLT) is a non-pharmacologic medical device that purports to take advantage of photo biomodulation to induce cellular level biomechanical adaptations. Such mechanisms are sought by clinicians and patients to take advantage of reduced symptoms via faster healing times in cases like temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJD), where the joint affected is not easily accessible to traditional care. Systematic literature searches for randomized controlled trials between 2014 and 2024 were performed in PubMed, EBSCO, and Science Direct. A total of six randomized controlled trials (full text available, PEDro score 6, and conducted in the past ten years) met search criteria with a total of 363 subjects. Half the trials, with 36% of the total subjects, showed no difference between LLLT and the control or placebo. This review of current randomized controlled trials presented limited evidence for utilizing LLLT on patients with TMJD-related pain.