Articles

Treatment of Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) Pain with Diode Laser Therapy

Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain can be very debilitating for the affected patient, particularly when it is a chronic disorder associated with temporomandibular disorder (TMD). Low reactive laser therapy (LLLT) has been proved effective in a variety of pain etiologies, and low incident levels of diode laser irradiation are very effective in relieving TMJ joint pain associated with TMD, as the first stage in a two-staged strategy in the successful treatment of TMD. The present study reports on four representative cases of TMJ pain treated with a GaAlAs diode laser, 830 nm. continuous wave, 150 mW for 5 to 10 sec/point, once per week. Incident energy densities were from approximately 20 J/cm² to 40 J/cm². One of the possible pain relief mechanisms involves the LLLT-mediated improved microcirculation in the temporal and masseter muscles, thereby relaxing and softening the affected muscles and relieving the pain. This also helps with cases of trismus. LLLT is side effect free, is easy to apply and is well tolerated by all ages and conditions of patient. When used in combination with conventional orthodontic maneuvers to remedy the functional defects behind the TMD, LLLT offers the practitioner a safe and effective method for pain relief in troublesome TMJ pain patients.