The Efficacy of Photobiomodulation in Wound healing following Gingivectomy: A systematic Review of clinical Studies

Background: There is a controversy regarding the efficacy of photobiomodulation (PBM) in soft tissue healing following gingival procedures.The aim of the current study was to systematically review the efficacy of PBM in wound healing following a gingivectomy.The addressed focus question was, "Is PBM effective in wound healing following gingivectomy?"Indexed databases [Public/Publisher MEDLINE (PubMed), Excerpta Medica dataBASE (EMBASE), Web of Science, and Cochrane] were searched up to December 2020.The risk of bias (RoB) was assessed using Joanna Briggs critical appraisal tool for randomized control trials (RCTs) and case-control studies.Methods: A total of eight studies, six RCTs and two case-control studies, were included in the present review.Seven studies with varying results indicated that PBM application following gingivectomy could enhance wound healing as early as 7 days and help in the reduction of postoperative pain.Wound healing was assessed using either Landry index (two studies), contour, and color of gingiva postsurgically (two studies), or visual analog scale (VAS) scores (three studies) and plaque disclosing solution to measure keratinization in one study. Conclusion:The efficacy of PBM in wound healing following gingivectomy is debatable as the heterogeneity associated with the included studies was high, but overall, the review supports PBM as an adjunctive tool for the promotion of wound healing following gingivectomy.The overall RoB was low in the included studies, further power-adjusted and well-designed RCTs with long-term follow-up are needed.