Introduction
postoperative pain, edema, pain, muscle spasms, trismus
ORAL MUCOSITIS, EDEMA, MINOR, INFLAMMATION, TRISMUS
Over half a century, studies performed on the use of laser therapy have accumulated a considerable amount of evidence on their biological effects in human tissues In dentistry, Masters et al. (1971) first described the use of laser. Laser therapy is currently used in patients for radiation-induced oral mucositis In dentistry, minor oral surgeries (highly represented by third molar extractions), can cause postoperative discomfort due to muscle spasms with pain, trismus, and edema. All affect the patient´s quality of life Many drugs, such as analgesics and anti-inflammatory drugs are generally effective and used to control postoperative pain The lasers used to aid in postoperative healing are low power, presenting no photothermal potential Secondary LPL effects include decreasing pro-inflammatory cytokines such as COX-2, interleukin-1b (IL-1b), and IL-6, consequently reducing inflammation, immune response, and pain Although the subject has been gaining greater attention in recent years, to date there is no single protocol being applied universally. This creates a question as to which of the various protocols present in the literature would deliver the expected benefits of LPL and in the best manner In several studies, LPL has presented efficacy in modulating inflammatory processes, and reducing discomfort after surgical procedures. Our research therefore aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of LPL in controlling pain, trismus, and edema after lower third molar extraction. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the effectiveness of using LPL (Low-power laser) to reduce pain, edema, and trismus after impacted lower third molar extraction.