Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2021 Mar 1;26(2):e216-e225.
doi: 10.4317/medoral.24144.

Efficacy of the laser at low intensity on primary burning oral syndrome: a systematic review

A-L Matos  1 , P-U Silva, L-R Paranhos, I-T Santana, F-R Matos
Affiliations

Efficacy of the laser at low intensity on primary burning oral syndrome: a systematic review

A-L Matos et al. Med Oral Patol Oral Cir Bucal. .

Abstract

Background: Primary burning mouth syndrome (BMS) is a chronic clinical condition of idiopathic mainly characterized by pain and a burning sensation in the oral cavity. The application of laser at low intensity therapy is a treatment option. This systematic review evaluated the efficacy of laser therapy in treating symptoms of burning mouth syndrome.

Material and methods: The study was formulated according to the PRISMA and Cochrane guidelines. Seven databases were used as primary sources of research. Only randomized controlled clinical trials were included. The efficacy of the therapy was estimated comparing the values of the visual and numerical scales of pain before and after laser treatment, through qualitative analysis.

Results: The search resulted in 348 records and only eight filled the eligibility criteria and were included. All studies evaluated pain and / or a burning sensation considering a time interval of two to ten weeks. The total sample consisted of 314 patients submitted to treatment: 123 from the control group, who participated with laser off or with the tip blocked, and 191 from the intervention group, treated with low-level laser therapy. The female gender stood out and the average age of the participants was 60.89 years. The main symptoms reported were pain and a burning sensation in the oral mucosa and tongue. The parameters adopted by the authors for laser treatment were diverse and the variables were not fully described in the published studies. Visual analog and numerical scales were used to assess symptoms and only three studies showed statistical significance.

Conclusions: It is suggested that laser therapy may be an effective alternative in the treatment of BMS. New randomized clinical trials should consider well-established protocols to better understand the efficacy of laser therapy without confounding the effects.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of interest The authors have no conflicts of interest to report.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flowchart of the literature search and selection process adapted from the PRISMA statement.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Klein B, Thoppay JR, Rossi SS, Ciarrocca K. Burning Mouth Syndrome. Orofacial. Dermatolol Clin. 2020;38:477–83. - PubMed
    1. Bender SD. Burning Mouth Syndrome. Dent Clin North Am. 2018;62:585–96. - PubMed
    1. Zakrzewska J, Buchanan JAG. Burning mouth syndrome. BMJ Clin Evid. 2015;1:1–11. - PubMed
    1. Jääskeläinen SK, Woda A. Burning mouth syndrome. Cephalalgia. 2017;37:627–47. - PubMed
    1. Feller L, Fourie J, Bouckaert M, Khammissa RAG, Ballyram R, Ballyram J. Burning Mouth Syndrome: Aetiopathogenesis and Principles of Management. Pain Res Manag. 2017;18:1–6. - PMC - PubMed

Publication types