Evaluating the clinical benefits of photobiomodulation in peri‑implant soft tissue healing: A systematic review

Statement of problem The effectiveness of photobiomodulation (PBM) therapy in enhancing peri -implant soft-tissue healing after implant surgery remains unclear because of limited and heterogeneous clinical evidence. Purpose The purpose of this systematic review was to evaluate whether adjunctive PBM improves peri -implant soft-tissue healing compared with conventional postoperative care or sham treatment following dental implant placement or second-stage surgery. Material and methods An electronic search of PubMed (MEDLINE), Scopus, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library databases from January 2000 to December 2026 was conducted to identify studies assessing PBM applied to peri -implant soft tissues. Screening and data extraction were performed according to predefined eligibility criteria. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias-2 tool. Results Three randomized controlled clinical trials including 91 patients were analyzed. Adjunctive photobiomodulation demonstrated significantly improved early soft tissue healing, reflected by higher healing index scores ( P <.001), reduced postoperative inflammation ( P =.03), and lower gingival and bleeding indices at early follow-up intervals ( P <.05). Favorable modulation of inflammatory biomarkers, including reduced tumor necrosis factor-α levels (P<.05) and decreased peri‑implant crevicular fluid volume ( P <.05), was also reported. One study demonstrated significantly improved implant stability at 3 months ( P =.007) and better clinical healing at 1 week ( P =.045). No serious adverse events related to photobiomodulation were identified. Conclusions Within the limitations of the available evidence, PBM appears to enhance early peri -implant soft-tissue healing and reduce postoperative inflammatory parameters. However, additional well-designed randomized and controlled clinical trials with standardized PBM protocols and longer follow-up periods are required to confirm these findings.