Zanin, T., Zanin, F., Carvalhosa, A.A., Castro, P.H., Pacheco, M.T., Zanin, I.C., … Brugnera, Jr., A. (2010). Use of 660-nm diode laser in the prevention and treatment of human oral mucositis induced by radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Photomedicine and Laser Surgery, 28, 233–237.
To evaluate the qualitative and quantitative effects of the 660-nm diode laser in the prevention and treatment of oral mucositis in patients with head and neck cancer being treated with chemotherapy and radiation
Seventy-two patients were divided into two groups. One group was the control, and the other group received low-level laser therapy twice weekly. Teeth were protected using a silicone tray containing neutral fluoride gel. Daily physical intraoral evaluations were performed. Patients were followed for seven weeks during radiation treatment.
This was a single-site study conducted at the Cancer Hospital of Mato-Grasso, Cuiaba, MT, Brazil.
The study was a prospective clinical trial.
This study found that 660-nm diode laser therapy was effective in the prevention and treatment of oral mucositis in patients being treated with chemotherapy and radiation for head and neck carcinoma.
Low level laser therapy may be effective in the prevention of mucositis. However, this treatment is highly technical and requires special equipment and highly trained personnel.