{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,29]],"date-time":"2026-01-29T03:38:07Z","timestamp":1769657887604,"version":"3.49.0"},"reference-count":25,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,28]],"date-time":"2026-01-28T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1769558400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["JCM"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Objective: Inferior alveolar (IAN) and lingual nerve (LN) injuries are known complications of impacted mandibular third molar surgery and may result in persistent neurosensory deficits. This exploratory, non-randomized clinical study evaluated the clinical and electrophysiological effects of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) on neurosensory recovery following trigeminal nerve injury. Methods: Twenty-seven patients with postoperative IAN or LN injury received LLLT, TENS, or placebo therapy according to institutional clinical protocols. Clinical outcomes were assessed using Visual Analog Scale (VAS) scores, and electrophysiological evaluation was performed using electromyography by measuring cutaneous silent period (CSP) duration. Non-parametric statistical analyses were conducted using the Wilcoxon signed-rank and Mann\u2013Whitney U tests. Results: LLLT was associated with statistically significant improvements in several neurosensory symptoms, including pain, burning sensation, speech difficulty, biting, and taste disturbance. In contrast, TENS and placebo treatment did not demonstrate a consistent or generalized improvement across neurosensory outcomes. CSP durations differed significantly between healthy and pathological sides both before and after treatment. Although CSP duration showed a tendency to increase following LLLT, these changes did not reach statistical significance. Subgroup analysis revealed greater clinical improvement in LN injuries compared with IAN injuries within the LLLT group. Conclusions: Within the limitations of this exploratory study, LLLT was associated with more pronounced clinical improvement than TENS or placebo in patients with third molar-related trigeminal nerve injury. CSP measurements provided supportive objective information, although electrophysiological recovery remained limited.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/jcm15031049","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,28]],"date-time":"2026-01-28T15:04:46Z","timestamp":1769612686000},"page":"1049","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Comparative Effects of Low-Level Laser Therapy and Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation on Neurosensory Recovery After Trigeminal Nerve Injury: An Exploratory Non-Randomized Clinical Study"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1178-9743","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mert","family":"Zeytino\u011flu","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Oral Surgery, Faculty of Dentistry, Ege University, 35040 Izmir, Turkey"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Alpay","family":"Savran","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Clinic, 61100 Trabzon, Turkey"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Burhanettin","family":"Uludag","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Ege University, 35100 Izmir, Turkey"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,28]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1012","DOI":"10.1053\/joms.2001.25827","article-title":"Sensory nevre impairment following mandibular third molar surgery","volume":"59","author":"Bataineh","year":"2001","journal-title":"J. Oral Maxillofac. Surg."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"7","DOI":"10.1016\/j.bjoms.2004.09.002","article-title":"A randomised controlled clinical trial to compare the incidence of injury to the inferior alveolar nerve as a result of coronectomy and removal of mandibular third molars","volume":"43","author":"Renton","year":"2005","journal-title":"Br. J. Oral Maxillofac. Surg."},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"255","DOI":"10.1054\/bjom.2000.0463","article-title":"Prospective Quantative Study on the Clinical Outcome of Lingual Nerve Repair","volume":"38","author":"Robinson","year":"2000","journal-title":"Br. J. Oral Maxillofac. Surg."},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1231","DOI":"10.1016\/S0278-2391(98)90595-X","article-title":"Neurosensory Deficit and Functional Impairment After Sagittal Ramus Osteotomy: A Long-Term Follow-Up Study","volume":"56","author":"August","year":"1998","journal-title":"J. Oral Maxillofac. Surg."},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2","DOI":"10.1016\/S0278-2391(98)90904-1","article-title":"The accuracy of clinical neurosensory testing for nerve injury diagnosis","volume":"56","author":"Zuniga","year":"1998","journal-title":"J. Oral Maxillofac. Surg."},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"345","DOI":"10.1016\/S1079-2104(97)90029-9","article-title":"Lingual nevre parasthesia following third molar surgery: A retrospective clinical study","volume":"84","author":"Fielding","year":"1997","journal-title":"Oral Surg. Oral Med. Oral Pathol. Oral Radiol. Endodontol."},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"247","DOI":"10.1093\/brain\/66.4.237","article-title":"Three types of nerve injury","volume":"66","author":"Seddon","year":"1943","journal-title":"Brain"},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"771","DOI":"10.1002\/mus.880130903","article-title":"The anatomy and physiology of nerve and nerve injury","volume":"13","author":"Sunderland","year":"1990","journal-title":"Muscle Nerve"},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1034","DOI":"10.1136\/jnnp.53.12.1034","article-title":"Idiopathic and Sypmtomatic Trigeminal Pain","volume":"53","author":"Cruccu","year":"1990","journal-title":"J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatry"},{"key":"ref_10","unstructured":"Ertekin, C. (1997). Klinik Elektromyografi, Ege \u00dcniversitesi T\u0131p Fak\u00fcltesi Yay\u0131nlar\u0131."},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"817","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1365-2044.1980.tb03926.x","article-title":"TENS for Chronic Pain","volume":"35","author":"Bates","year":"1980","journal-title":"Anaesthesia"},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1455","DOI":"10.1093\/ptj\/58.12.1455","article-title":"Electrode Placements for TENS","volume":"58","author":"Mannheimer","year":"1978","journal-title":"Phys. Ther."},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"307","DOI":"10.1002\/lsm.20148","article-title":"Cellular effects of low power laser therapy can be mediated by nitric oxide","volume":"36","author":"Karu","year":"2005","journal-title":"Lasers Surg. Med."},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"137","DOI":"10.1089\/pho.2007.2076","article-title":"Efficacy of 780-nm laser phototherapy on peripheral nerve regeneration after neurotube reconstruction procedure (double-blind randomized study)","volume":"25","author":"Rochkind","year":"2007","journal-title":"Photomed. Laser Surg."},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"125","DOI":"10.5978\/islsm.93-OR-14","article-title":"Low reactive-level 830 nm GaAlAs diode laser therapy (LLLT) successfully accelerates regeneration of peripheral nerves in human","volume":"5","author":"Midamba","year":"1993","journal-title":"Laser Ther."},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2","DOI":"10.1016\/S0278-2391(96)90290-6","article-title":"Preliminary study of low-level laser for treatment of long-standing sensory aberrations in the inferior alveolar nerve","volume":"54","author":"Khullar","year":"1996","journal-title":"J. Oral Maxillofac. Surg."},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2669","DOI":"10.1016\/j.joms.2018.06.001","article-title":"Does Low-Level Laser Therapy Affect Recovery of Lingual and Inferior Alveolar Nerve Injuries?","volume":"76","author":"Miloro","year":"2018","journal-title":"J. Oral Maxillofac. Surg."},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3","DOI":"10.1186\/1746-160X-2-3","article-title":"Efficacy of low level laser therapy on neurosensory recovery after injury to the inferior alveolar nerve","volume":"2","author":"Ozen","year":"2006","journal-title":"Head Face Med."},{"key":"ref_19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"463","DOI":"10.1089\/pho.2024.0016","article-title":"The Effect of Delayed Photobiomodulation Therapy on Inferior Alveolar Nerve Recovery After Third Molar Removal: A Triple-Blinded Randomized Clinical Trial","volume":"42","author":"Yari","year":"2024","journal-title":"Photobiomodulation Photomed. Laser Surg."},{"key":"ref_20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"614001","DOI":"10.1117\/12.646294","article-title":"Mechanisms of low level light therapy","volume":"6140","author":"Hamblin","year":"2006","journal-title":"Mech. Low-Light Ther."},{"key":"ref_21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Ma, Y., Yang, M., Chen, X., Qu, W., Qu, X., and He, P. (2023). The effectiveness of photobiomodulation therapy on inferior alveolar nerve injury: A systematic review and META-analysis. PLoS ONE, 18.","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0287833"},{"key":"ref_22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"996","DOI":"10.1016\/j.joen.2025.05.016","article-title":"Jasminum-based Nano-reinforced Calcium Hydroxide Reduces Postoperative Pain in Symptomatic Apical Periodontitis: A Randomized Controlled Trial","volume":"51","author":"Amir","year":"2025","journal-title":"J. Endod."},{"key":"ref_23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e505","DOI":"10.4317\/jced.60500","article-title":"Efficacy of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) in the management of trigeminal neuralgia: A systematic review and meta-analysis","volume":"15","author":"Motwani","year":"2023","journal-title":"J. Clin. Exp. Dent."},{"key":"ref_24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"5224","DOI":"10.1097\/MS9.0000000000002411","article-title":"Effect of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation on neuro-sensory disturbance after orthognathic surgery: A randomized clinical trial","volume":"86","author":"Pourdanesh","year":"2024","journal-title":"Ann. Med. Surg."},{"key":"ref_25","unstructured":"Ramani, P.K., Lui, F., and Arya, K. (2026, January 01). Nerve Conduction Studies and Electromyography, Available online: https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/books\/NBK611987\/."}],"container-title":["Journal of Clinical Medicine"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2077-0383\/15\/3\/1049\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,28]],"date-time":"2026-01-28T15:31:41Z","timestamp":1769614301000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2077-0383\/15\/3\/1049"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,28]]},"references-count":25,"journal-issue":{"issue":"3","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,2]]}},"alternative-id":["jcm15031049"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/jcm15031049","relation":{},"ISSN":["2077-0383"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2077-0383","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,28]]}}}