{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,20]],"date-time":"2026-05-20T03:45:20Z","timestamp":1779248720990,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":28,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"11","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,13]],"date-time":"2025-11-13T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1762992000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Dentistry Journal"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: Surgical management of trauma in the maxillofacial complex can result in iatrogenic nerve injuries, particularly involving the infraorbital, inferior alveolar, and mental nerves. Paresthesia is a common postoperative complication, often attributed to the anatomical positioning of these nerve structures, making them vulnerable to injury. Among current therapeutic options for nerve injuries, low-level laser therapy (LLLT) has shown promising results in published studies. Objectives: This prospective observational study evaluated the effects of LLLT on nerve recovery following maxillofacial trauma surgery. Methods: A total of 21 participants, with a median age of 35 years and no gender-based selection criteria, were enrolled. Cases included zygomaticomaxillary complex and mandibular osteosynthesis; analyses were within-subject across time. Postoperative laser therapy was administered to both groups using the DUO MMO device (MMOptics, S\u00e3o Carlos, Brazil), delivering infrared light along the pathways of the inferior alveolar, infraorbital, and mental nerves. Nerve function was assessed regularly using a Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and the Brush Stroke Direction (BSD) test to evaluate sensory recovery. Results: Compared with baseline (15 days post-op, pre-LLLT), VAS scores showed significant reductions at sessions 7 and 10, and BSD responses increased over time. Conclusion: After multiplicity control, only the session 10 comparison remained significant. These observational findings support the feasibility of multi-session LLLT after maxillofacial trauma; controlled trials are warranted to determine efficacy.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/dj13110532","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,13]],"date-time":"2025-11-13T12:57:13Z","timestamp":1763038633000},"page":"532","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Low-Level Laser Therapy in Maxillofacial Trauma: A Prospective Single-Arm Observational Study"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"13","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1264-2943","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Raissa Dias","family":"Fares","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Post-Graduation Program in Dentistry, Fluminense Federal University (UFF), Niteroi 24220-140, RJ, Brazil"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6174-0112","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jonathan Ribeiro","family":"da Silva","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University Center Serra dos Org\u00e3os (UNIFESO), Teresopolis 25964-004, RJ, Brazil"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8356-069X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sylvio Luiz Costa","family":"De-Moraes","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University Center Serra dos Org\u00e3os (UNIFESO), Teresopolis 25964-004, RJ, Brazil"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8027-8293","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jose Mauro","family":"Granjeiro","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Clinical Research Laboratory, Dentistry School, Fluminense Federal University, Niteroi 24220-140, RJ, Brazil"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5759-7926","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Monica Diuana","family":"Calasans-Maia","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Clinical Research Laboratory, Dentistry School, Fluminense Federal University, Niteroi 24220-140, RJ, Brazil"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,13]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","first-page":"88","article-title":"Evaluation of sensorimotor nerve damage in patients with maxillofacial trauma; a single-center experience","volume":"4","author":"Poorian","year":"2016","journal-title":"Bull. 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