Low-power CO2 laser irradiation (LLLT, 0.5 to 2 W) vs Placebo (placebo laser or placebo agent) or no treatment: White spot lesion incidence
Low-power CO2 laser (LLLT) is associated with a lower incidence of new white spot lesions than placebo (OR 0.21, CI 0.15 to 0.30; ungraded, 3 RCTs, considerable heterogeneity I2=71%).
What each review found
Current versions only| Finding | Effect | Studies | GRADE certainty |
|---|---|---|---|
Low-power CO2 laser irradiation (LLLT, 0.5 to 2 W) vs Placebo / no laser (control) Incidence of new white spot lesions (WSLs) · High caries-risk patients: fixed-orthodontic-appliance patients and children with partially erupted permanent molars · 3 to 18 months follow-up, Clinical (in vivo); high caries-risk / orthodontic patients Low-power CO2 laser (LLLT) is associated with a lower incidence of new white spot lesions than placebo (OR 0.21, CI 0.15 to 0.30; ungraded, 3 RCTs, considerable heterogeneity I2=71%). Clinical and ex-vivo effect of LASERs on prevention of early-enamel caries: systematic review & meta-analyses. (2024) All outcomes | OR 0.21 [0.15, 0.30] | 3 studies · 182 participants | GRADE not reported |
Findings are shown side by side, never pooled across reviews.
The reviews
| Review | Searched up to | Included studies | AMSTAR 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clinical and ex-vivo effect of LASERs on prevention of early-enamel caries: systematic review & meta-analyses. 2024 All outcomes | 2023-01-30 | 8 | Critically Low / Critically Low |
Studies behind the findings
The primary studies the full-text reviews tie to this outcome. Reviews with headline outcomes only do not list them here.
- Efficacy of CO lasers in preventing dental caries in partially erupted first permanent molars: a randomized 18-month clinical trial. · 2020 · included by 1 of these review
- Effect of CO2 Laser on the Prevention of White Spot Lesions During Fixed Orthodontic Treatment: A Randomized Clinical Trial. · 2019 · included by 1 of these review
- Enamel resistance to demineralisation around orthodontic brackets after CO2 laser irradiation: a randomised clinical trial. · 2018 · included by 1 of these review
How reviews are matched to this question
Reviews word the same question differently. Four decision models (TypeSafe's Jev, Liquid AI's d1-ultra, SubQ Snap and Baseten's Elephant) judged each wording of the population, intervention, comparator and outcome against the others; two wordings count as the same when at least three of them agree and none clearly disagrees, and findings count as this question only when all four elements match. Timing, setting and subgroup never split a question: they are shown on each finding.