Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a chronic immunologic mucocutaneous inflammatory disease of the oral mucosa. Since the etiopathology of OLP is idiopathic, treatment is usually symptomatic, therefore showing low predictability. Currently, topical corticosteroids are widely accepted as the standard therapy. However, for patients unresponsive to standard therapy for OLP, new treatment modalities have been sought. Phototherapy has recently been accepted as an alternative or adjunctive treatment modality for many conditions in medicine and dentistry. The aim of this study is to present the advantages and disadvantages of the different kinds of phototherapy used in treatment of OLP (UV phototherapy, lasers, and photodynamic therapy). The main outcome measures compared were improvement of signs and symptoms and OLP recurrence. Although some phototherapy techniques in the selected articles have demonstrated limited effects, there is no solid basis in evidence for the effectiveness of any of these treatments for OLP. Therefore, further research, especially randomized controlled clinical trials with long‐term follow‐up, is needed to give any solid recommendation on the use of phototherapy in the field of OLP treatment.

1 Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Management, Stroger Hospital of Cook County, Chicago, Illinois, USA; 2 Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Banja Luka, Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina; 3 Department of Periodontology and Oral Medicine, Institute of Dentistry, Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina; 4 Department for Certification, The Republic of Srpska Agency for Certification, Accreditation and Quality Improvement in Health Care, Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina; 5 Department of Endodontic, Institute of Dentistry, Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Buerger’s disease (BD) is a relatively rare thrombotic, occlusive and non-atherosclerotic clinical syndrome of unknown etiology. In recent years, numerous epidemiological studies confirmed the strong association between chronic anaerobic periodontal infection and development of cardiovascular diseases, including BD. Therefore, the aim of this study is to clarify association between periodontal pathogens and Buerger’s disease. Confirmation of presence and identification of periopathogens in patients with BD can be considered crucial in developing novel therapies for BD. Further, periodontal therapy will lead to eventual improvement of BD patients’ condition.