Effectiveness of photobiomodulation in reducing xerostomia and hyposalivation in patients with Sjogren’s syndrome: an integrative review

The aim of this integrative review was to analyze existing studies in the literature on the effects of LLL for hyposalivation and xerostomia in SS to establish parameters for safe use of LLL, using the guiding question “What is the effectiveness of Low-Level Laser in reducing xerostomia and hyposalivation in patients with Sjogren’s Syndrome?“.

Specific descriptors were applied to the Web of Science, Pub Med, Embase and LILACS databases and 31 articles were found, remaining 23 after removing duplicates. After reading the titles and abstracts only 5 were selected for reading the full text and 2 were included in this review. The data were arranged in tables and analyzed comparatively.

The studies presented distinct results that made it difficult to develop a suggestive treatment plan. However, analyzing the literature and the known characteristics of LLL, distinct elements among them may be related to the results found, such as irradiation time, tissue pathology, and skin color of the patients.

It was concluded that the scarcity of studies and the discordance of the results found made it impossible to establish a plan for the application of LLL for xerostomia and hyposalivation in individuals with SS.