Clinical evaluation and assessment of laser irradiation on the stability of orthodontic implant - A prospective experimental study

Abstract

Background: Currently, orthodontic implants have reached a peak where they are considered a dependable modality to provide temporary supplemental anchoring in orthodontic therapy. When absolute anchoring is a necessity or in cases of minimally cooperative patients, these devices can help manage skeletal anchorage. However, its failure is a serious multi-factorial issue that happens during orthodontic treatment. The stability of the mini-implant is crucial to the outcome of orthodontic intervention. Approaches to increasing the stability of the mini-implant were researched. Hence, this study was carried out to compare and contrast and clinically assess the integrity of orthodontic implants over time. Subjects and Methods: Split mouth technique of treatment was carried out on 16 patients, i.e., one side of the mandible was considered as the experimental group (implant site irradiated with laser after placement), and the other was considered as the control side (implant site not irradiated with laser). Titanium mini-implants of the dimensions 1.5 mm diameter and 6 mm length were employed in the present study. They were positioned in the inter radicular space between the first molar and second premolar in the mandibular posterior region, 7 mm apical to the alveolar crest. During the whole process, the laser utilized was a multimode GaAs diode laser with a wavelength of 980 nm. It had 0.5–10 W output power which was adjustable with the frequency of 1–20 kHz and its main body input voltage was DC12 to further analyze the stability of the implant which in turn would aid in success assessment, the resonance frequency concept was utilized. The readings were recorded (T0) after insertion, (T1) 24 h after insertion, (T2) 2 weeks after insertion, (T3) 4 weeks after insertion, (T4) 6 weeks after insertion, and (T5) 8 weeks after insertion. The higher the implant stability quotient values the greater the stability and hence the optimal loading time. Results: The test employed for statistical analysis was Mann–Whitney U, Kruskal Wallis, and analysis of variance test. After analysis of all the readings, it was found that low-level laser therapy has a significant role in the stability of orthodontic mini-implant. Conclusion: The findings from this study suggest that low-level laser irradiation at the time of implant placement controls the inflammatory reaction around the implant and improves its stability.