Laser acupuncture and intravascular laser irradiation of blood for management of pediatric dental anxiety.

The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of laser acupuncture and intravascular laser irradiation of blood (ILIB) for managing anxiety in pediatric dentistry. Eighty-four children recruited at a university dental clinic were randomly assigned to three groups: the Sham group (n = 27) underwent sham laser irradiation of three acupuncture points, the ILIB group (n = 25) underwent 10 min of ILIB, and the laser acupuncture group (LAC, n = 32) underwent 40 s of laser acupuncture over points VG20 (Baihui), PC6 (Neiguan), and the Oppression Point. The results suggest that ILIB and laser acupuncture are feasible alternatives for managing dental anxiety in children.