Laser therapy ("Low Level Laser Therapy" -^s"LLLT") has been suggested as a new treatment modality for patients suffering from Meniere's disease or tinnitus. Considering the high prevalence of these conditions and the lack of effective traditional therapies, laser therapy merits attention as an additional therapeutic possibility. So far all published laser studies have presumed that the inner ear is the proper target for laser irradiation. However, tinnitus in patients diagnosed with Meniere's disease is frequently "somatosensory", i.e. due to muscular tension. It is therefore essential to make a differential diagnosis before therapy is applied. Laser therapy has previously been shown to be an effective tool in the treatment of temporomandibular disorders. Since the masticatory and cervical muscles are involved in somatosensory tinnitus, the laser dentist becomes an important therapist with his combined knowledge of TMD therapy and laser therapy.
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