{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,10]],"date-time":"2026-08-10T08:32:43Z","timestamp":1786350763794,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":29,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"8","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,9]],"date-time":"2026-08-09T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1786233600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Life"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: Temporomandibular disorders (TMD) are associated with musculoskeletal pain affecting the masticatory muscles and temporomandibular joint (TMJ). Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) is a therapeutic modality with analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and biostimulatory effects. Protocol and laser parameter settings for TMD management have not yet been established. The aim of this prospective study was to evaluate the effectiveness of low-level laser therapy in reducing pain in TMD patients. Methods: Sixty-three participants treated at the Department of Prosthodontics, School of Dental Medicine, University of Belgrade, were sorted to the LLLT group and the control splint-medication group (SMG), which received occlusal splint therapy, with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug treatment (NSAID; Ibuprofen). Results: Both therapeutic approaches resulted in significant pain reduction and improvement in patients\u2019 quality of life. No statistically significant differences were observed between the groups, LLLT patients demonstrated a higher rate of successful treatment outcomes, reduction in pain intensity during the treatment. Conclusion: The applied LLLT was associated with significant reduction in pain intensity and improvement in oral health-related quality of life in patients with TMD. Although no statistically significant differences between the groups were demonstrated at the individual post-treatment assessment points, these findings support LLLT as a potentially useful non-invasive conservative treatment option.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/life16081305","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,10]],"date-time":"2026-08-10T01:20:03Z","timestamp":1786324803000},"page":"1305","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Therapeutic Effect of Low-Level Laser Therapy in Patients with Temporomandibular Disorder"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"16","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2695-4577","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Igor","family":"Djordjevi\u0107","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department for Prosthodontics, School of Dental Medicine, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ana","family":"Mileti\u0107","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department for Prosthodontics, School of Dental Medicine, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0108-9361","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Filip","family":"Ivanjac","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department for Maxillofacial Surgery, School of Dental Medicine, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Danica","family":"Popovi\u0107 Anti\u0107","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department for Prosthodontics, School of Dental Medicine, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0009-0348-4702","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Minja","family":"Mili\u010di\u0107 Lazi\u0107","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department for Prosthodontics, School of Dental Medicine, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6538-0871","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Vitomir","family":"Konstantinovi\u0107","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department for Maxillofacial Surgery, School of Dental Medicine, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,9]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"133","DOI":"10.1016\/0304-3959(92)90154-4","article-title":"Grading the severity of chronic pain","volume":"50","author":"Ormel","year":"1992","journal-title":"Pain"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"182","DOI":"10.1179\/2151090315Y.0000000008","article-title":"Identification of psychological comorbidity in TMD-patients","volume":"34","author":"Ismail","year":"2016","journal-title":"Cranio\u00ae"},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"692","DOI":"10.1177\/0333102416686302","article-title":"Temporomandibular disorders: Old ideas and new concepts","volume":"37","author":"List","year":"2017","journal-title":"Cephalalgia"},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"104964","DOI":"10.1016\/j.brat.2026.104964","article-title":"Integrating multimodal behavioral therapy into temporomandibular disorders management: A randomized attention-controlled trial using DC\/TMD axis II outcomes","volume":"198","author":"Vaddamanu","year":"2026","journal-title":"Behav. 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