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

To evaluate whether photobiomodulation (PBM) reduces postoperative pain and inflammation in patients undergoing a soft tissue oral biopsy, compared with a sham treatment. 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. 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). 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.