Academy of Laser Dentistry

C A S E S T U DY : N E U R O PAT H I C PA I N
Treating Dentist: Dr. Gerald Ross
A 61-year-old male patient presented with pain and felt it was coming
from the lower left molar. The tooth was extracted and the socket healed
uneventfully but the pain got worse. At that point, there were no other
problems with teeth in that quadrant, however the pain was worsening
and the patient was taking Tylenol ® No. 3 (30 mg) approximately 4 times
per day, every day. Laser irradiation was applied to the trigeminal nerve,
the molar site, and the trigeminal ganglion. After 1 application, the
patient said he was no longer taking Tylenol No. 3 and took only 2 Advil ®
at bedtime. Three days later a second application was done to the same
site, and the patient reported as pain-free and no longer needing medication.
The pain-free status has lasted for three months.
A U T H O R B I O G R A P H I E S
Dr. Gerald Ross has been practicing
dentistry for more than 30 years in
Tottenham, Ontario. He has been
using surgical and low-level lasers
clinically since 1990 and has
lectured extensively in Canada, the
United States, and internationally.
He holds Advanced Proficiency
status from the Academy of Laser
Dentistry and a fellowship from the
American Society of Laser Medicine
and Surgery. In 2008, Dr. Ross was
asked to present a paper and chair
the dental session at the World
Association for Laser Therapy
(WALT) meeting that was held in
South Africa. He is currently a board
member of the North American
Association for Laser Therapy
(NAALT) and is helping with
numerous studies on photobiomodulation.
Dr. Ross may be contacted by
e-mail at ddsross@rogers.com.
Alana Ross, BScH, graduated
with an honors degree in Biomedical
Science from the University of
Guelph in Ontario, Canada. In 2004,
Alana cofounded, and is currently
the executive director of, Laser Light
Canada, a company involved in the
distribution of and education
relating to low-level lasers and
phototherapy equipment in North
America. She has published
numerous articles on low-level laser
therapy and is presently overseeing
several clinical studies. Currently,
she is the chair of the NAALT 2010
Annual Conference committee,
C L I N I C A L R E V I E W A N D C A S E R E P O R T S
serves on the NAALT Board of
Directors, and is a member of the
NAALT membership committee.
Disclosures: Dr. Ross is the president
of Laser Light Canada, a company
which is involved in the distribution
and education related to low-level
lasers in dentistry. Ms. Ross is the executive
director of that company. None of
the manufacturers of the instruments
sold by Laser Light Canada had any
input into this article.
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Ross and Ross
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