Oral Health Case Reports

Effect of Low-Level Laser Therapy on Wounds in Intra-Oral Surgery

Abstract

Thiago M Cavalcanti, Jair C Leao, Ruthineia D Lins, Maria Helena Catao, Marcela L Pontes and Luiz G Carvalho Neto

During the last two decades, much has been written in both the scientific literature and the popular press about lasers and their use in dentistry. Both soft- and hard-tissue applications have been discussed, including frenectomy, gingival contouring, caries removal and bleaching. The aim of this study is evaluate and compare the effects of laser therapy on the surgical wound repair process and painful symptoms in patients undergoing bilateral teeth extractions at the Department of Dentistry, State University of Paraiba. Three sessions of laser therapy (GaAlAs) were performed for each patient. The first session was immediately after the surgical procedure, the second occurred 48-72 h after the first session, and the third and final at 7 days after surgery, coinciding with the removal of the sutures. Of the patients examined, 65.5% at the first assessment (after the second laser therapy session) and 75% at the second assessment (after the third session) exhibited a better degree of repair on the side treated with laser (STL) compared to the side not treated with laser (SNTL). There was no difference in edema between the STL and SNTL. Regarding pink tissue colour, there was an increase in its frequency, from 25%-62.5% of cases, on the STL between the first and second assessments. Bleeding also showed an increased frequency on the STL and decreased on the SNTL in the second assessment. Regarding painful symptoms, the results revealed that, on the STL, they decreased, from 62.5%-0% between the first and second assessments, and on the SNTL, from 87.5%-12.5%. Hence, low-power laser use appeared to be effective for the repair of intraoral surgical wounds, accelerating the degree of repair, improving tissue colour and reducing pain symptoms.