Objective: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd:YAG) laser used for low-level laser therapy (LLLT) on pain, oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL), and swelling after sinus lift procedure.
Materials and methods: Ten healthy patients, requiring bilateral direct sinus lift surgery, were included in this prospective, randomized study. The treatment sides were randomly assigned to LLLT or control groups. The experimental side received 8 J/cm(2) of energy density, a wavelength of 1064 nm, for 60 sec, and 0.5 W laser immediately after surgery. Swelling, pain perception, and OHRQoL were evaluated at different time intervals. The data were analyzed by the one way ANOVA.
Results: Evaluations of postoperative pain, OHRQoL, and swelling were made. We observed that the swelling and the OHRQoL in the Nd:YAG group were significantly improved when compared with the control group on the 3rd day after surgery (p<0.05). The pain levels after surgery was almost the same for both groups, without statistically significant differences (p>0.05). There were no statistically significant differences between groups with regard to any of the parameters evaluated on the 7th day.
Conclusions: The results demonstrate that the 1064 nm Nd:YAG laser was effective in improving OHRQoL and reducing swelling after sinus lift surgery. Within the limitations of this study, we concluded that the 1064 nm Nd:YAG laser has beneficial effects on swelling and OHRQoL, making it suitable for LLLT.