Low-level laser therapy is an important tool to treat disorders of the maxillofacial region.

OBJECTIVES: The authors report on the effects of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) in the treatment of maxillofacial disorders. SUMMARY AND BACKGROUND DATA: Further to our previous studies, this paper reports the results of the use of LLLT on the treatment of several disorders of the oral and maxillofacial region. This paper presents LLLT as an effective method of treating such disorders. METHODS: Two hundred and five female and 36 male patients ages between 7 and 81 years old (average 38.9 years old), suffering from disorders of the maxillofacial region, were treated with 632.8, 670, and 830 nm diode lasers at the Laser Center of the Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil (UFPE). The disorders included temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain, trigeminal neuralgia, muscular pain, aphatae, inflammation, and tooth hypersensitivity postoperatively and in small hemangiomas. Most treatment consisted of a series of 12 applications (twice a week) and in 15 cases a second series was applied. Patients were treated with an average dose of 1.8 J/cm2. RESULTS: One hundred fifty four out of 241 patients were asymptomatic at the end of the treatment, 50 improved considerably, and 37 were symptomatic. CONCLUSIONS: These results confirm that LLLT is an effective tool and is beneficial for the treatment of many disorders of the maxillofacial region.

Using Novafil: would it make suturing easier?

The use of monofilament nonabsorbable suture materials is not common in Dentistry. Although it is known that multifilament suture materials induce greater cellular reaction, most Dentists prefer to use cotton and silk. Rigidity and package memory are disadvantages of monofilament nonabsorbable suture materials. A new material, Polybutester (Novafil), has been used successfully in Medicine but its use is not common in Dentistry. Seventy male and female Wistar rats were used to study the clinical response of skin and abdominal wall muscle to the use of Novafil and nylon sutures. Under general anesthesia, standard wounds were created in the dorsum and abdomen of the animals and sutured with either Novafil or nylon. The animals were sacrificed immediately, 12, 24, and 72 hours and at 4, 5 and 7 days to evaluate the clinical aspect of both wounds. Polybutester presented some advantages such as strength, lack of package memory, elasticity and flexibility which made suturing quicker and easier. Some subjects presented abdominal wound edema during the period and six animals developed infection of abdominal wounds within seven days. These initial findings show that Novafil is easy to handle and would be better tolerated in the mouth than nylon resulting in less discomfort for the patient. Novafil can be used safely on skin and mucosal wounds and, if necessary, it can be used in internal sutures because it irritates less than nylon.