Luiz Guilherme Martins Maia, Caroline Alfaia-Silva, Matheus Antoni da Silva Costa, Filipe Modolo Siqueira, Rogério de Oliveira Gondak, Ricardo Luiz Cavalcanti de Albuquerque-Júnior
This study investigated the effect of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) on the pulpal alterations caused by tooth movement in diabetic rats. Forty-eight Wistar rats were divided into control (CTR), diabetic (DBT), and LLLT-treated counterparts. Diabetes was induced with alloxan, and orthodontic movement was performed for 13 days. LLLT (780 nm, 35 J/cm2) was applied every 48 h for 7 days. Histological analyses assessed inflammation, stromal cell density (SCD), blood vessel count (BVC), odontoblastic layer thickness (OLT), and collagen deposition at 7 and 13 days. In 7 days, the DBT group showed significantly increased inflammation (p < 0.01), and decreased blood vessel count (p < 0.001) and cell rates (p < 0.01) compared to CTR. The DBT/LT group presented inflammatory, vascular, and cell rates comparable to CTR, meaning LLLT reversed these changes. However, DBT/LT still showed significantly increased collagenization at both 7 (p < 0.05) and 13 days (p < 0.001). LLLT attenuates diabetes-exacerbated histological pulpal damage during orthodontic movement, supporting its potential as an adjunctive therapy in hyperglycemic conditions.