Effect of immediate photobiomodulation on pain and inflammation after oral biopsy: A randomized clinical study

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether photobiomodulation (PBM) reduces postoperative pain and inflammation in patients undergoing a soft tissue oral biopsy, compared with a sham treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A prospective, randomized controlled clinical study was conducted. Oral mucosal biopsies were performed using a standardized protocol. Group allocation was carried out using simple randomization. Participants were assigned to two groups: active PBM (n = 31) and simulated (sham) PBM (n = 31). A single intraoral PBM session (wavelength 940 nm, output power 0.5 W) was applied immediately after the biopsy procedure. RESULTS: No statistically significant differences were observed between the groups with respect to pain or inflammation reduction during the 7-day follow-up period. Both variables decreased over time in both groups, with no significant group effect or group-time interaction effect (p = 0.279 and p = 0.220, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: A single session of PBM applied immediately after a soft tissue oral biopsy did not demonstrate additional benefits compared with sham treatment in reducing postoperative pain or inflammation over a 7-day period. Further studies using optimized PBM protocols are needed to better define its potential role in this clinical setting.