Chermetz, M., Gobbo, M., Ronfani, L., Ottaviani, G., Zanazzo, G.A., Verzegnassi, F., . . . Zacchigna, S. (2013). Class IV laser therapy as treatment for chemotherapy-induced oral mucositis in onco-haematological paediatric patients: A prospective study. International Journal of Paediatric Dentistry.
To evaluate the efficacy of class IV laser therapy in pediatric patients affected by severe oral mucositis (OM)
Laser treatments were performed twice daily for four consecutive days, all over the oral cavity in ulcerated and erythematous areas. Treatment was started on average 7.5 days after the end of chemotherapy.
The use of class IV laser therapy (high-power laser therapy [HPLT]) was effective and induced better healing, reduced inflammation, and limited thermal damage along with maintained tissue integrity as compared to traditional low-power laser therapy (LPLT). All patients experienced a statistically significant decrease in pain sensation the day after the first laser application, with lesions healing by day 11.
The innovative protocol used, HPLT, employs high power and high wavelength as compared to traditional protocols and was effective, safe, and non-invasive for the treatment of OM. It accelerates healing time and causes reduction of pain and inflammation of OM. The efficacy of LPLT in pediatric patients with cancer has been established. Thus, laser light therapy has proved to be successful in the prevention and treatment of chemotherapy-induced OM. In the present study, all patients perceived a great improvement in all lesions and functional capacity.
A gap indicates a lack of knowledge regarding dosing levels of laser therapy (low versus high, adult versus pediatric), so additional research is needed. More double-blind, randomized, controlled studies are needed, as well as laser protocols.